Not All Those Who Wander are Lost
by PainInTheAsguardian
Summary: Takes place after "The Last Guardian". The Guardians have high expectations of both Jack and Pitch, but will they ever be able to fulfill them? Part 2 of Snowflakes and Shadows. BlackIce.
1. Cabin Fever

Jack Frost stood atop the highest dome of the North Pole. It was early morning and the Summer sun already shone brightly over the frozen landscape. The days would be growing shorter now, as Fall began to edge its way into the northern hemisphere. Soon night would overtake day, and the auroras would light the Arctic sky. Life had returned to normal, or what Jack figured passed as normal for a Guardian. He'd only had the title for a few months, and was still trying to adjust to it. The memories of three hundred years' worth of invisibility didn't vanish that swiftly.

He'd spent centuries wandering this world on his own. He'd encountered other spirits, but made few lasting acquaintances. Until that fateful night when he'd been stuffed in a sack by a pair of Yetis and transported to the North Pole, no one had bothered to care about a single wayward Winter sprite. It was as if a spotlight had suddenly been shown on him, and now everyone knew the name Jack Frost. He still wasn't as famous as North or Bunnymund, or even Tooth or Sandy. Still, it was more than he'd ever dared dream.

Jack's blue eyes traveled over the white landscape. He wasn't invisible anymore. He had a home, of sorts. He had friends. Kids believed in him. Other spirits acknowledged his existence. It was great, almost everything that he had ever wanted. Yet he still felt empty. Something was still missing. North had his Yetis and elves. Bunny had his eggs. Tooth had her fairies. Even Sandy had his dreamsand creations. Pitch...Pitch had his daughter back. Jack had no one. He was the one puzzle piece that didn't quite fit in right. It had always bothered him, but now that he had a basis for comparison the loneliness seemed even worse. With everyone having gone their separate ways, and no malevolent spirits threatening humanity, Jack had plenty of time to mull it over.

His thoughts traveled back to Pitch. Now there was a story that had ended happily. It had been two months since they had faced Mab, the Faerie Queen of the Winter Court. That battle had earned the Guardians a sixth member in the unlikely form of Pitch Black the Nightmare King, now the Guardian of Courage. Jack had learned a great deal about Pitch in that short time. Mab had taken his powers, returning him to his human self, a man named Kozmotis Pitchiner.

Pitchiner had helped the Guardians fight against Mab, even single-handedly taking her on to protect Jack's human friends. In the end, the belief of Jamie and his friends had returned Pitch's powers, but not the darkness that had controlled his mind. Not only that, but it turned out that Mother Nature was his missing daughter. Pitch had lost everything only to gain what he had always desired: family and people to believe in him. That knowledge brightened Jack's spirit, at least. After spending so much time with him Jack had come to realize that he actually enjoyed his former enemy's company. He _liked_ Pitch. The man understood him in a way the other Guardians didn't. Or maybe it was in a way they couldn't. None of them had ever been alone and invisible. Pitch had, and for longer than Jack could imagine.

He sighed. He would have liked to speak more with the newest Guardian, but Pitch had quietly slipped away with his daughter Seraphina shortly after his induction. The Burgess entrance to his lair had closed when Jack and the others defeated him, and it was the only passageway that Jack knew of. He didn't even know if Pitch wanted a lonesome wayward ice spirit to come calling. Jack had no indication that Pitch enjoyed his (or anyone's) presence.

A shout from below woke him from his thoughts.

"Jack! Come down here, we are having meeting!" North gazed up at him from one of the many balconies. Meeting? Had he done something wrong? He couldn't recall having screwed up anything lately. A thought fluttered around the back of his mind, and he faintly recalled North mentioning a Holiday Meeting. That must be it. Jack groaned. There was one other part of being a Guardian that he was having trouble dealing with. Hard work and deadlines. It was as if the others didn't know how to just go with the flow. Dates, times, blah blah blah. Schedule this, plan that.

He'd tried to humor them for a while, in the few quiet months between becoming a Guardian and Mab's rise. Jack had hoped that maybe they'd finally give up and let him just be himself again, but no such luck. North had even tried making him plan his Snow Days, for crying out loud. Jack loved the other Guardians dearly, but sometimes they made him just want to scream. One more reminder that he didn't quite belong to the same rigid little world. He didn't even know how to explain it to them. They'd just look at him and smile and tell him it he'd get the hang of it eventually. He didn't want to get the hang of it, but the Guardians were the closest thing to a family he had. Jack would do his best to make them happy. He jumped down from his perch, landing lightly next to the big Russian.

"So, what are we doing? Planning out future meetings?" He tried to look interested.

"Ha, of course not. Planning the next several months. Fall kicks off holiday season, big important time for us. Especially now, after what happened. We need to make sure this is _best one ever_."

"Uuuugh." Jack rolled his eyes, and he decided to give it a try one more time. "North, you know I'm no good with that kind of thing. I'm not like the rest of you. I don't work on a schedule." North patted him on the shoulder, causing him to stumble.

"You'll get the hang of it eventually, Jack. You are still new." North smiled warmly. Jack scowled inwardly. Had he really expected a different answer? Nope. North continued. "You, and Kozmotis too. Two new Guardians! You'll be like the rest of us in no time, don't worry!"

"Pitch is here?" Jack brightened at the news. Maybe this meeting wouldn't be as boring as he'd thought. If nothing else, Pitch would probably hate the stupid thing as much as Jack did. They entered the main section of the workshop, heading toward the Globe Room at its heart. Jack swiped a few sugar cookies from a passing gaggle of elves. North strode into the Globe Room's center, clapping his hands.

"Alright, good, I have brought Jack. We have everyone now, yes?" Jack heard affirmations from Toothiana and Bunnymund, and he could see Sandy floating next to a tray of hot cocoa and nodding. Pitch stood in the shadows, watching the others with luminous silver-gold eyes. Sprinkles the Nightmare stood beside him, and Jack was surprised the others had allowed her in.

"I can't believe you summoned me here for this." Pitch's silky voice sounded unimpressed. "Some of us have important things to be doing right now."

"What could be more important than annual Holiday Meeting?" North looked genuinely confused.  
"Oh, I don't know. Let me think. How about everything. Watching grass grow, for instance." Pitch sneered. Jack grinned. Yeah, meetings would be much more interesting with him around. Jack left North's side, jumping up onto the table next to the Nightmare King. Pitch acknowledged him with a small nod, and Sprinkles gave him a welcoming nudge. Jack slipped her one of the sugar cookies he'd taken from the elves. North started to speak, booming out something about the Fall schedule. Jack felt his brain shut down almost immediately.

"So, enjoying the life of a Guardian?" he turned to Pitch.

"Oh, yes. So much that I can hardly contain myself." The tall man answered dryly.

Jack spread his arms, imitating North. "Welcome to schedules and hard work! Forget being spontaneous. Do your Nightmares have a day planner?"

The others were talking now, and to Jack it was just a stream of words that didn't concern him. Aside from North and Bunny, the other Guardians weren't even associated with holidays so why on Earth were they even here? He felt like he was going to explode. Pitch's expression was growing steadily darker, and Sprinkles snorted in irritation.

"And...are you two even listening?" North glanced at them.

"This is a waste of time, North." Pitch crossed his arms. "Look, you can all do things your way, it's fine. Just don't expect me to. I may now be a Guardian, but I'm not going to fit neatly into one of your pretty little colored boxes. I don't remember anything in the Oath about following whatever rules you've made up. I will work with you on your Naughty List kids, but I go where I am needed, when I am needed."

The others stared at him in stunned silence.

"Yeah." Jack added, feeling suddenly heartened. "Same here. You can't schedule fun. It just happens. You don't plan the weather. I'm not gonna say 'oh Toronto needs a snowstorm on Friday at 8pm' a month in advance." he paused. "Unless, you know, Mother Nature tells me Toronto needs a snowstorm on Friday at 8pm. That's kind of different. But you know what I mean! We do things our way!"  
"You can't just..." North looked flustered. "You two are Guardians now, you cannot just go galloping around world like wild things!"

"Oh yeah?" Jack decided he'd had it with the lot of them. "Watch me." He shot Pitch a mischievous glance. "How fast is Sprinkles? Think she can beat me?" He didn't wait for an answer. Clutching his staff, he shot into the air and out through the great window at the top of the room. The sun shone brightly, bathing the icy cliffs in golden morning light. Jack closed his eyes for a moment, basking in the cold Arctic air. He heard a shrill whinny behind him, and as he turned Sprinkles flew past him.

"If this is some kind of race, Frost, you're losing." Pitch called smoothly over his shoulder.

"Oh yeah? Don't think so!" Pressing his arms close to his body, Jack launched himself like an arrow toward the shadowy figures, zipping past the Nightmare's inky streamers and pulling ahead of them. They flew across the frozen landscape, cliffs and canyons rushing by in blurs of sparkling blue and gold. Jack urged the wind to take him as fast as it could. He could see Pitch and Sprinkles out of the corner of his eye, a stark contrast against the blinding landscape. He didn't even care where they were going, the only thing that mattered was that they were out of that accursed meeting. He was free. It felt great to be racing on the wind again, and now he actually had someone to pit himself against. Onward they sped. The flat ice sheets began to give way to forested mountains as the two spirits competed with supernatural speed. Jack let out a whoop. Russia? Canada? Did it matter? They could go anywhere they wanted to.

Wherever they had ended up, the mountains were high enough that snow still covered the ground though it was the tail end of Summer. Jack veered off, dropping down into the deep green of the forest. The trees were massive, and grew thickly together. Everything smelled like pine and earth and _freedom_. He bounded from branch to branch since the trees were packed too close for him to fly easily. Fleeting movement caught his eye, and he saw Nightmare and rider disappear into one shadow, only to reappear out of another. The race became a sort of game of hide-and-seek, with Jack trying to figure out where they would appear next. He laughed aloud. This was fun, and he was starting to enjoy himself again. His earlier worries began to melt away. He was playing games with _Pitch_, of all people. None of the other Guardians would do something like this. They just didn't get it. They were too set in their ways, too bound by schedules and deadlines. Jack didn't need any of that. He needed the wind and the sun and the sky.

The shadowed green of the forest began to lighten. Ahead of him, the trees began to thin, and he could see a snow-filled clearing. Jack launched himself off of a thick branch, aiming for the open air of the clearing. A shadow appeared suddenly in front of him, as Pitch must have had the same idea. Jack couldn't pull out of his dive swiftly enough, and they crashed into one another, tumbling with a thud into the snow. Sprinkles landed on a nearby drift with an amused-sounding shriek.

"Oof. Did I win?" Jack rolled onto his back, staring up at the clear blue sky.

"I think not. You crashed into me, ergo I was ahead of you." Pitch sounded amused and slightly winded from the fall.

"Point. But only because you were using the shadows."

"I must have missed the part where you said I couldn't."

The snow was surprisingly deep here, and Jack had to pull himself out of the miniature hole he'd created when he fell. Sprinkles whinnied and rolled down the drift, leaving a rapidly vanishing trail of iridescent dark dreamsand. She snuffled around in the powdery snow at the drift's base, huffing out little puffs of white. Even the Nightmare was enjoying herself. Jack grinned and scooped up a handful of glittering crystals, forming them into a perfect snowball. His magic hadn't affected the Nightmare King before, but he wondered if it would now that the Fearlings were gone. Time to find out. He threw it at Pitch as the other man stood to brush snow off of his dark robes. It struck him in the side of the head in a poof of white, replacing all the snow he'd just removed.

"Frost, _must_ you insist on hitting people in the face?" Pitch shook his head, but a slow grin spread across his sculpted features. "Faces. Did you see their _faces_?" He let out a short, smooth laugh. "That was priceless."

"I know, right?" Jack's grin widened. "'You can't just go galloping off!" he says. And then,_we did_. They're just so freaking stuffy I couldn't take it anymore."

Pitch laughed again, with genuine amusement. "Just like that! I-" His laughter grew stronger. "Oh, oh they're going to be mad, aren't they, but...haha...their expressions were _worth_ it. Really I don't know what they were thinking."

"We'll be grounded. For eternity." Jack couldn't hold back his own laughter.

"I've been grounded for centuries. Underground." Pitch wheezed. "They'll have to try harder."

Jack had to catch his breath. "Okay, okay." He held up a hand, stifling another giggle. "Okay. We should probably head back. North means well, I know he does." He sighed, mood suddenly dropping. "It's just..."

Pitch straightened, fixing Jack with an intense gold gaze. "Do not let them change who you are, Jack. Just because you and I are now Guardians, it doesn't mean we have to do everything their way. I said it before, we see shades of gray where they only see black and white. We are not the same. They will have to learn to accept that." He held out a hand, and Sprinkles trotted over to him. He climbed gracefully to her back. "Come now. I suppose I shouldn't let you take all the blame for this little excursion."

Jack nodded, and took to the air. They soared back over the snowy mountains in silence. The sun rose higher in the sky, and the trees gave way to the flat expanse of the Arctic once more. By the time they reached the workshop again, the other Guardians had left. Only North remained in the Globe Room, discussing something with the Yetis. He glanced up as Jack and Pitch landed. "Ah, so you have decided to return?"

Jack rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. "Yeah. Look, I'm sorry, I just felt so trapped. I had to do something..." He trailed off.

North sighed. "Jack, you are Guardian now. You need to show a bit more responsibility. You have purpose now, duty." He glanced toward Pitch. "As do you, Kozmotis. I would have expected-"

"Me to be a better role model?" Pitch cut him off. "Really, North? You do realize the only thing that has really changed is that I'm not trying to destroy you all? I am who I am, and that's that."

North crossed his arms. "I understand that this is a new way of life for both of you. So for now we let this slide. In future though, I hope I can expect better behavior from the two newest Guardians." He gave them both one final appraising look before heading toward his study.

"Did...any of that even get through to him?" Jack stared after the retreating figure. "Any of it at all?"

"North and the others are set in their ways. They do not deal well with change."

Jack kicked at a spot on the carpet. He wanted to please them. He wanted to fit in, but he didn't want to stop being himself to do it. Why couldn't they just accept him for what he was? Maybe he was just being belligerent. They had given him so much, the least he could do was try and be a responsible little snow spirit.

"This has all been very exciting, but I must take my leave." Pitch glided across the floor toward the shadowed base of the Globe. He paused. "Frost. I enjoyed that little race. If this place gets to be too much, come to Venice. Serpahina's done a bit of...redecorating but ah, it's much quieter than this wretched circus." He melted into the shadows, Sprinkles trotting after.

Venice. The sunken, tilted architecture of Pitch's lair suddenly made sense. Jack wanted to ask just how he was supposed to find the entrance, but Pitch was gone. Venice was a labyrinth of canals and slowly sinking buildings, he'd just have to do some exploring. Jack stared at the shadows a moment more, then up at the great Globe. For now though, he really felt that he should find a way to make up for disrupting the Guardians' meeting.


	2. All the Best Laid Plans

Fall: September

Monday: Burgess am, New York midday, Montreal evening

Tuesday: Memphis am, Vancouver midday, Denver evening

Wenesday: Winnipeg am, Minneapolis midday, whatever

Thursday: THIS IS STUPID Washington DC am

"Uuuuugh." Jack dropped the pencil he'd been scribbling with and curled up in a ball on the tabletop. "I can't do this. How do they all manage it?" One of the elves offered him a half-eaten gingerbread cookie in consolation. He was in the North Pole's expansive kitchen, making his first attempt at being a good, organized little Guardian. Though North didn't bring it up again, Jack knew that his actions the previous day had disappointed the burly man. He had to do something to redeem himself, and coming up with his own Fall schedule seemed like a good place to start. For a snow sprite with zero organizational skills and the attention span of a caffeinated kitten this was a monumental task.

Jack uncurled from the fetal position and stared at the paper again. Okay, maybe he shouldn't start in Burgess. Once there he probably wouldn't want to leave. It should be somewhere toward the middle of the month, as a special treat. Maybe he should push it all the way back to Halloween, that way he could spend the holiday with his friends. He could start on the west coast. California was nice that time of year, even if it could stand to be colder.

Jack was supposed to bring some light frost, help the trees change from Summer green to Autumn gold. It was too early for snow and storms in many places, although a cold snap here and there couldn't hurt. He scribbled one in for Denver in the middle of the month. "There. What do you think?" he asked the elf that had offered him the cookie. The little creature tilted his head for a moment, then shook it "no". He hopped over to the map that Jack had laid on the table, pointing to North America. Then he gestured toward the rest of the map. _Oh right_. Jack groaned. It was Fall in the entire northern hemisphere, not just his continent. He reached for another sheet of paper. This was even more difficult than he'd initially thought. He'd have to balance out entire continents. Wonderful. He'd never really thought about it like that before. Jack had always traveled wherever his fancy led him, wherever felt right. Trying to make sure that every place in the world got equal attention seemed impossible.

Jack contemplated the map. His eyes traveled to Italy. Venice. Pitch. He still couldn't believe that the Nightmare King had skipped out of the Guardians' meeting with him. They'd had _fun_. Jack had always thought there was more to Pitch than what the other Guardians saw, even when they had been enemies, and now he was sure of it. The man _fascinated_ him right from the start. Underneath that calm facade he had a sense of humor and a major attitude. He was sarcastic, a quality that Jack could always appreciate. Though he could be terrifying, Jack almost enjoyed that little thrill of fear he felt whenever Pitch appeared. Yet he was also dignified and intelligent, and Jack found that odd mixture strangely attractive. Ok maybe _attractive_ wasn't the right word, but Jack just wanted to see more of the other man. He had an open invitation to Pitch's lair now, and he was sorely tempted to take it.

Jack thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. No. It hadn't been more than a day, and he didn't want to seem like a lost puppy looking for someone to follow. He didn't even have half a month's worth of plans worked out yet. He had to focus, show North and the others that he wasn't an irresponsible Guardian. He'd get this schedule done, follow it, and work Venice and Burgess into it somehow. He could do it all. He just had to figure out how. Jack glared at the map. Good thing spirits like him could cross the globe in the blink of an eye. Maybe he could zigzag across the continents. Make it interesting. Yeah, interesting. Jack let out a weak laugh.

"Ah Jack, there you are!" North boomed. Jack awoke with a jump, blinking in confusion. He peeled a paper off the side of his face. Oh yeah, he'd been writing. He didn't remember falling asleep. It was a mark of just how mind-numbing this whole organization thing was. "I wondered where you were. Thought maybe you'd left again." North strode to the table, offering a tray of hot cocoa. Jack accepted one, waving a stack of papers.

"Nope. I'm still here. Making a schedule, see? I can do this."

North examined the chicken scratches that Jack had been making. After a moment, he nodded. "Is good start! I like it. Take it one month at a time, you will get better!" Jack managed a grin. Yeah, this was going to be great. He'd be weighed down with responsibility in no time, just like the rest of them. Fun, fun, fun. "I am glad to see you working hard, Jack." North smiled. "Now we just need Kozmotis to be bit more accommodating, and all will be good. I believe in two of you. Now I must get back to work, is getting to be crunch time you know." He gave Jack a final wide grin, grabbed some cookies, and waded back through the sea of elves and Yetis toward his study.

Jack sighed, letting the papers fall to the floor with a gentle rustling sound. _That's the sound of my freedom slipping away, _he thought morbidly. He downed the remainder of the cocoa, rolled up the map, and gathered the fallen papers. He'd start his new, structured life as a Guardian in the morning, he decided. He had a headache from all that writing, and Jack figured that it was one of those rare occasions where he should actually sleep, rather than passing out on a kitchen table in a pile of papers. He rose into the air halfheartedly, soaring out of the bustling kitchen toward the guest room he'd been given.

The next morning dawned irritatingly bright. Jack rolled out of bed unwillingly, donning his hoodie and stuffing the schedule in the front pocket. He sought out North, who was busy carving ice blocks in his study. "Alright. I'm off. Places to go, seasons to change, fun to spread and all that. I'll remember to check in, and no out-of-season blizzards." He tried to look happy.

"Good, good!" North looked up from his carving. "Have fun, Jack! I am glad to see you putting in best effort!"

"Yeah, always. Fun? It's me, after all." Ha, ha. Have fun, that was a good one. Inwardly Jack wanted to scream. He bid North farewell and shot out of the workshop before he had a chance to change his mind. _I can do this. I'm a Guardian. I faced the Nightmare King and the Queen of Air and Darkness. I can handle a simple little schedule_. Jack glided over the blue and white ice fields, turning toward his first destination, Yosemite in California. He loved the steep granite mountains, tall trees, and clear winding river. Jack reminded himself that, at the very least, he could still be out in the world, instead of cooped up inside a building or underground like the others. That was definitely a blessing.

At first, things didn't seem so bad. He'd gone with the zigzag method, jumping back and forth between North America, Europe, and Asia., starting in the north and moving slowly southward. He ran through forests and fields, soared over rivers and streams. It was still fun, to be sure, but not the same as before. Knowing he had to be in a certain place at a certain time weighed heavily on him. It was as if someone was always looming there, over his shoulder, watching to make sure he behaved. As the days passed, his annoyance grew.

Now that he was a Guardian, other spirits took notice. Some actually began to talk to him, but his busy schedule left him little time for chatting. He had to pass up an offer to party with the kitsune in Kyoto because he had to be in Portland by evening, and had to cut short an interesting discussion with some Selkies in Orkney to be in St. Petersburg later that day. He often encountered the Little Teeth as they went about their business, and in the evenings sometimes he'd see Sandy. There were a few times he thought he saw Seraphina's shape in leaves or waves, but he could never be sure. He did see Nightmares, though. They weren't the same as Pitch's original creations. These had argent eyes, the result of starlight silver mixing into the dark dreamsand when Jack's friends had returned Pitch's power during the battle with Mab. The spectral horses would sometimes gallop alongside him as he flew. He wondered if Pitch was using them to keep an eye on him. Jack brushed away that thought. Why would Pitch care what he was up to? He had his own duties to take care of, and wouldn't waste his time tracking the wanderings of a transient frost sprite. Would he?

Halfway through the second week, Jack realized that he was going to go insane if things kept up the way they were. The weather had been right for a nice big storm in Frankfurt but no, he'd scheduled himself to be on the other side of the world. The trees in Calgary looked nice enough already, they couldn't get much more colorful. He was starting to get angry now, and accidentally unleashed a small snowstorm. Oops. Well, at least he got one good storm in. They could use a little excitement anyway, and he could use a break. Jack sighed and turned toward the North Pole. Maybe talking to North again would help. He flew for a few miles, then paused.

Screw that. Talking to North hadn't really gotten him anywhere before, and besides, the Guardian of Wonder was busy with the holiday crunch. Bunnymund wouldn't understand either, to him the changing of the Seasons was incredibly important. Bunny was to Spring and Summer what Jack was to Fall and Winter. Except, well, better at it. Toothiana was busy day and night directing her Little Teeth, and he didn't feel like tracking down Sandy. Jack turned toward Italy. He didn't want to see the other Guardians anyway. He wanted to see Pitch. "Hey Wind!" he called. "Take me to Venice!"

The antique city sat on an island in the middle of the Laguna Veneta, in the country's north. Jack always thought the island was shaped sort of like a fish. The Grand Canal ran through the western portion, while smaller channels wound their way throughout the entire island. It was a giant maze, with crumbling edifices and hidden alleyways. He'd brought snow to Venice a few times, though not as often as he'd liked. Jack landed atop the Campanile in the Piazza San Marco, trying to decide on his next course of action. He could wait for a Nightmare to pass by, or explore on his own. Since sitting around wasn't his strong suite, Jack decided on Option Two.

He hopped off the Campanile and down one of the myriad alleys. The architecture seemed almost impossible at times, with narrow walkways at the water's edge, delicate bridges, and buildings whose doors and windows were practically submerged. Gondolas glided across the water, mostly carrying tourists. It was a bustling, lively place. Flowers hung from nearly every balcony and terrace, their scent filling the air. Jack drifted down one narrow alleyway after another, aware that evening was falling. He bounded up the decaying brick walls, hopping from balcony to balcony until he reached the rooftops. Lights were coming on throughout the city, their glow reflected in the water.

"Come on, Nightmares. Where are you?" He prowled along the roof, tracing little lines of frost with his staff. He heard a rustling overhead, and a dark shape raced by. Jack had never been so happy to see a Nightmare. "Hey!" he called after it. "Wait up!" The creature reared to a halt, staring at him with shimmering silver eyes. "I wanna talk to Pitch. He said it was okay. Can you take me to him?" The Nightmare snorted and darted across the canal to another alley, pausing to look back at him expectantly. He followed. The Nightmare wove through the tightly clustered buildings, disappearing inside one of them. By now Jack was thoroughly lost, but he didn't care. He dashed through the broken window where the Nightmare had gone, and down into the darkness. After a few moments, the blackness gave way to a murky light.

"Whoa..." Jack stared. Pitch hadn't been kidding when he'd said Seraphina had done a bit of redecorating. He was in the Nightmare King's version of North's Globe Room. The skeletal metal Globe still shone with golden light in the cavern's center, and spiked cages still hung from the rocky ceiling, but there the similarity ended. The cavern floor surrounding the Globe was divided into four sections, one for each Season. The first was covered in soft green moss and new saplings, that would be Spring. Summer had lush green grass and flowers, while Fall was all fiery reds and golds. Winter was full of snow-covered evergreens. The hanging cages were filled with twinkling fireflies. Several opalescent white Premonitions, Seraphina's feline creations, lounged on the rocky outcroppings. They gazed at him indifferently, bi-color eyes shining. The Nightmares gave them a wide berth. "Okay, I'm impressed."

"Just don't tell anyone I've got the world's fanciest garden growing in my living room. I've an image to keep up, you realize." Pitch materialized out of the shadows behind Jack, startling him. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Frost?"

Jack tried to pretend that he hadn't been surprised by the other man's sudden appearance. He really should have been expecting that._ I'm frustrated and I really want someone to talk to, the other Guardians don't understand me, and I just wanted to see you again._ Yeah, no. "I was in the area, thought I'd drop by and say hi. See how you're handling this whole being a Guardian thing." Jack smirked. "You became one after me, so I guess that makes you the rookie now, Mr. Guardian of Courage."

Pitch leaned on one of the boulders littering the room's floor, propping his head up with his palm and fixing Jack with those intense golden eyes. "Translation: They're driving you out of your frozen little mind and you know they won't listen if you tell them that." Jack felt his bravado start to fade. Geez, was he that obvious? "The Nightmares say you've been rushing across the globe lately, and have been exhibiting good behavior. Strange, you don't seem like the type to miss a chance to stir up trouble."

Jack leaned on his staff. "I have to try. I mean, isn't responsibility part of being a Guardian? I'm not just a wandering spirit anymore." He sighed. "I was doing alright. I just needed a little break, that's all."

"Mmmhmm." Pitch didn't sound convinced. "You're afraid that they won't accept you if you don't start acting like them."

"I'm not!" Jack glared.

Pitch raised what would have been an eyebrow if he'd had them. "You think I don't know what you're afraid of? Jack, did you forget who I am?" He sounded mildly amused, but then his voice sobered. "Is their acceptance that important to you? That you'd change who you are for it?"

"Hey, I'm not changing who I am. Just, how I go about doing things. Before now, I've never...belonged somewhere. I've never had people care about me. I don't wanna screw this up. When I see the disappointment in their eyes..." Jack's grip on the staff tightened. Pitch was right, of course. Jack was afraid that if he didn't meet their expectations, the Guardians would give up on him, even after all they'd been through. He'd be alone again, lose the closest thing to a family he could ever remember having. On top of that, there was Pitch. Even though he was now a Guardian, Jack had a hard time lumping him in with the others. He wanted the Nightmare King to accept him as well. It seemed important, somehow. This was all so frustrating. Jack decided to change the subject before Pitch got tired of him, too. "Well, anyway, what about you? What does the Guardian of Courage do?"

Pitch regarded him with an unreadable look. "For someone who has faced much adversity in a very short amount of time, you still have a great deal of fear in you," he said quietly. Then he straightened, prowling toward the Globe. "I send my Nightmares out to torment those who misbehave. A little fear can work wonders as a motivator. Toys and treats can only go so far. Some people just need a good scare to get them in shape." He gave a wolfish grin.

"But that is not all that fear is good for. I can also remind those who need it of the trials they've overcome. Of the fears that they've faced. Sometimes you cannot find your courage until you realize just how far you've come." He glanced back at Jack, who couldn't help feeling those gilded eyes burning into him. Pitch turned to the Globe again, running his hand over the sparkling lights. "Thanks to your little friends, people believe in me again. Courage and fear compliment one another, and wielding both has given me a strength that I have never felt before."

"Oh, he was absolutely giddy for days after Mab's defeat." Seraphina Pitchiner appeared suddenly in a swirl of Autumn leaves, startling Jack. Apparently the Pitchiners were determined to try and give him a heart attack whenever they appeared. Seraphina gave him a dazzling smile. "Greetings, Jack Frost."

"I was not 'giddy'," Pitch sniffed.

"He was dancing around." Seraphina said to Jack in a not-particularly-quiet whisper. He grinned.

"Does he do that when he's happy? I seem to remember North saying the Yetis mentioned something about-"

"I do believe we've spent enough time on idle chit-chat. Some of us have important business to take care of." Pitch said quickly, as Sprinkles trotted to his side. He climbed to her back. "I shall see you around, Jack. Don't work too hard. If you end up as boring as the others, I will be quite disappointed." With a shake of the reigns, he took off into the gloom beyond the Globe, a herd of Nightmares following after.

"Me? Work hard? Ha..." Jack's grin vanished as the last Nightmare melted into the darkness. "I guess I should be going, too. Got a tight schedule, you know?"

Seraphina knelt down to pet a Premonition. "You must choose your own path, Jack Frost. Just as he does. But I'm sure he'd like it if you came here once in a while. I do think he enjoys your company, even if he will not say so. At the very least, you annoy him less than anyone else."

"I'll keep that in mind," Jack said. He pulled the schedule from his pocket. He couldn't give up just yet. He'd try to make it though September, at least. The knowledge that he now had a place to stay besides the North Pole eased Jack's mind somewhat. Maybe, just maybe, he could do this. Jack bid Mother Nature farewell, and headed back toward the maze of Venice.


	3. Notte a Venezia

The sound of children laughing woke Jack. He'd fallen asleep in one of the tall pine trees that lined Jamie's street in Burgess while waiting for the kids to get out of school. Jack glanced down to see the kids bounding away from the nearby bus stop, heading toward their respective houses. He jumped off the branch he'd been perched on. Finally. He'd been waiting for hours. "Heya Jamie!"

"Jack!" Jamie spun around so quickly he dropped several schoolbooks from his backpack. He knelt to scoop them up. "I don't think I can play today. It's only Tuesday, and I got a tooooon of homework." He stuffed the last book in, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "Can you give us a Snow Day soon? I know it's only September but..." He glanced at Jack hopefully.

"Hmmm." Jack pulled out the now crumpled and torn schedule he'd written. "It's still kind of early for it, but maybe I can work one in the first week of October." He squinted at the last page of the paper, realizing he hadn't yet thought about anything at all for next month. Not good. He had to at least get through all of Fall.

"What's that?"

"My schedule." Jack tried to sound cheerful. "Now that I'm a Guardian, I have to be responsible. Just like you do!"

"Now you can understand my suffering!" Jamie sighed theatrically. "We're all doomed. Nightmares and evil faeries can't compare to long division."

"So now you're going to plan our snow days in advance?" Pippa had joined them. "Doesn't that kind of take the fun out of it?"

"Naaah. You won't know when I've planned 'em, so you'll still be surprised." Jack grinned, hoping it looked sincere. _Yes. Yes it does..._ But he couldn't let the kids know that. They were the ones who were supposed to have fun. He was just there to help them, right? He suppressed a sigh. Why was this so difficult? It was as if a few dates on paper were completely changing his life. He was still doing the things he enjoyed, only now with a timeline. He wondered if the other Guardians had felt the same way when they first started.

"Ack, mom's calling. I gotta go feed Abby!" Jamie shouldered his backpack, turning toward his house. "Can you come back this weekend maybe? Then we can play more and I won't have all this math homework. Bye, Jack!"

"Yeah, I've got a project to work on too. Sorry, Jack. Gotta go." Pippa waved and ran up her driveway. Jack watched the two retreating children, feeling a familiar knot of loneliness in his stomach. The Burgess kids had their own lives. They had families and schoolwork, and couldn't always be around to play with him. Still, it was so much better than before, when they couldn't see or hear him. _Anything_ was better than being invisible. He was grateful for that, but the loneliness was still there, and it hurt.

Jack summoned the wind, blowing dried red and gold leaves from the trees. He directed them into little haphazard piles for the kids to jump into later. There, now they could have some fun after he left. Evening fell, and bright warm lights appeared in every window as the Autumn air grew chill. Jack took to the sky, soaring over the trees and giving the remaining leaves a gentle coat of frost as he made for his next destination.

He'd decided to return to Ireland, where their last big adventure had occurred. Jack had opted for Dublin, rather than County Roscommon this time. It was just before sunrise when he arrived, and the city was quiet. Jack thought about wandering the grounds of Trinity College, but decided against it. The place was a sort of museum, and that meant gargoyles. He didn't have a very good record with the cranky creatures after their previous escapade, and they apparently kept in touch with their relatives scattered around the world. Jack was probably blacklisted from ever setting foot near a museum again.

He landed on the roof of the O'Connell Street Post Office instead. Come morning Dublin's most well-known street would be crowded with people, locals and tourists alike. Plenty of folks to play tricks on. Jack wandered to the edge of the gray stone edifice, plopping down to let his legs dangle over the side. He was trying to cut down on his usual troublemaking, the sort that landed him on the Naughty List. Still, he was Jack Frost, and it wouldn't be right if he didn't send some unfortunate businessman's neatly organized papers flying or instantly cool down a piping hot cup of coffee. Like Pitch, he did have a reputation to keep up.

Early Fall was a slow time for a snow spirit like Jack. He could only keep to the frozen north for so long without getting bored. Farther south, the weather was still quite warm, and outside of the tundra and mountains he couldn't always make it snow. Even getting frost to last more than a few moments was difficult. At least he could interact with people. He made sure there were always plenty of leaves for jumping in, or that kites always had a cool breeze to soar upon. He ensured the trees changed color properly, and ushered in fog and dew in the early hours of the morning.

As he waited for sunrise, Jack's thoughts turned to the last time he'd been in Ireland. He and the other Guardians had just barely escaped the razor-sharp tusks of the Boar of Ben Bulbain, and Pitch had nearly died in Mab's frozen lair beneath Rathcroghan. Pitch... Jack shook his head. Lately he found himself thinking of the Nightmare King more and more, and it bothered him. He shouldn't be so drawn to the man. Pitch may have been one of the good guys now, relatively speaking, but it didn't change the past. Jack reminded himself that Pitch had tried to hurt him and his friends. He'd almost succeeded. _Then Mab appeared, and he'd lost everything. He changed_. It was still too early to tell if that change was for good, but Jack was willing to give him a second chance. The Fearlings were gone, and he had someone to protect. The Pitch he knew now wasn't the same as the one who had tried to destroy them. Jack wanted to trust him. Why, he asked himself. _Why is he so important to me all of a sudden?_ Maybe it was because Pitch understood him so well. Because Pitch knew how it felt to be an outcast. Now that he was on the same side, Jack didn't have to feel guilty about relating to the enemy more than his friends.

He wondered what Pitch was doing now. Probably having a better time than he was. The Guardian of Courage could care less about living up to the others' standards, he'd made that much clear. Maybe he was right to do so. Maybe Jack was trying too hard. He was letting this whole schedule thing get to his head. It was wearing him down. The sound of a car driving by below stirred Jack out of his reverie, and the city began to awaken as the sun crept over the horizon.

The morning brightened, and the streets grew crowded. Jack spent the day flitting about the city, chasing the ducks around St. Stephen's Green and blowing the hats off tourists wandering Grafton Street. He realized that once again, he'd scheduled himself right out of the most interesting events. The All-Ireland Hurling Final was the upcoming weekend, and of course he'd scheduled an nice frost for Helsinki at that time. "Uuuhgh." He wanted to crumple the stupid paper into a wad and use it as a hurling ball. This wasn't fun anymore. Everything felt wrong. This wasn't how he worked.

The other Guardians seemed to approve, though. He ran into Toothiana that afternoon, on his way to Beijing. After their battles with Pitch and Mab, the Tooth Fairy had decided to spend more time in the field, and seemed to be loving it. "Jack! It's so great to see you working so hard! You're doing wonderful! Ooh!" Jack didn't have any time to reply as the Guardian of Memory got distracted, zooming off in search of a lost tooth she'd sensed.

Sandy sometimes appeared beside him as he flew in the evenings, smiling and nodding encouragingly. When Jack returned to the North Pole for a brief respite, North appeared briefly to congratulate Jack on his good work, and compliment him on how Fall was progressing so nicely. He reminded Jack of the big Holiday Party at the beginning of December, then disappeared back into his study. The only one Jack didn't see was Bunny, who was busy now with Spring in the southern hemisphere. Everyone seemed to think he was doing a wonderful job now. They finally seemed to think of him as one of their own. So why didn't he feel the same? Why did it feel like everything was less fun, less exciting now?

September was nearly over, and Jack decided to return to Venice before giving the Burgess kids their Snow Day. He needed someone to talk to, someone who would do more than just smile and pat him on the head for being a good little Guardian. That would be Pitch. As the island city came into view, Jack realized that once again he had no idea where the entrance to the underground lair was. He'd tried to memorize the location when he'd left the last time, but the maze of buildings and canals confounded him. It had been somewhere in the lower part of the city, east of the Canal Grande. That was as much as he remembered. He landed atop a building near the Rialto Bridge, one of the landmarks he knew. He tried to get his bearings, but one red-brown roof looked the same as another. At least evening was fast approaching. He wouldn't have to spend the entire day waiting for a chance to meet a Nightmare.

Cheerful voices and delicious scents drifted up from the myriad cafes lining the Canal. Jack wandered to the roof's edge, watching the tourists wandering about below. The city was just as crowded and noisy as he remembered. If only he knew where he was going.

"Looking for someone?" He whirled at the sound of Pitch's silky voice. The Nightmare King prowled smoothly out of the shadows, regarding Jack with some amusement.

"You really need to stop doing that," Jack mumbled, irritated that he'd been surprised yet again. Pitch's only response was a slow blink. Yeah, asking the Nightmare King to stop spooking people was like asking Jack to stop freezing puddles. Jack ran a hand through his snowy hair. "I was just enjoying the Venetian evening." Pitch continued staring silently at him. "I..don't know how to navigate this maze of a city," Jack glared. "I'll get it eventually, it's not like I had a big reason learn my way around before."

"I'm amazed you've kept up the 'responsibility' act this long, Frost." Pitch clasped his hands behind his back. "You're looking a bit worse for the wear."

"It's a bit tiring." Jack forced a grin. "But I'm new to it still. After three hundred years of doing my own thing, I'm not going to just be magically awesome at time management. Though it would be nice if I was..."

"Well, I'm sure the world's weather forecasters are enjoying the relative stability." Pitch smirked. "Since you are here now and obviously don't know how to find my lair, which I assume you were trying to locate, I suppose I should give you a tour of Venice." He melted back into the the shadows until his shining eyes and Cheshire grin were all that remained. "It won't do to have you getting lost every time you decide to show up."

"Hey, maybe I enjoy wandering aimlessly through the streets." Jack wondered if Pitch had been waiting for him, or if he'd just gotten lucky. Perhaps the Nightmares had warned him. At any rate, a tour of the city didn't sound so bad. He actually had very good navigational skills, once he got the lay of the land down. If he learned the landmarks now, chances were he'd be able to get around on his own next time. It also meant he'd have a valid reason to talk to Pitch.

"I'm sure you do. Are you coming, or not?" Pitch's voice came now from below him. Jack saw that he had reappeared on the sidewalk by the water's edge. The frost sprite jumped off the rooftop, landing softly next to him. A few people wandered by, and though they were adults who couldn't see the two Guardians, they seemed nervous as they passed by Pitch. He looked pleased. "They can sense my presence now, but we shouldn't have any trouble with humans seeing us this late in the evening."

"It seems so strange. We need to be believed in, but now that people can see us we can't let ourselves be seen." Jack stared down the pathway after the pedestrians.

"If they could see us all the time, they would become accustomed to our presence. We would become ordinary, and soon vanish from the realm of imagination and faith. It would diminish the power of their belief." Pitch followed his gaze. "So we live on the edge of their perception, just enough to keep them wondering. A delicate balance, indeed. Belief in something that you cannot see is often stronger than that in which you can. Humans are strange like that."

Jack thought about his friends in Burgess. Their light still kept him strong, but it was as Pitch said. They were used to him now. The kids expected to see him and speak to him. He had become a normal part of their lives. He was their friend, and he wouldn't give that up for anything, but it made sense that he couldn't act that way toward just anyone. The Guardians would lose their magic. Was there any part of being a Guardian that wasn't complicated?

"Shall we, then?" Pitch gestured toward a long, low boat that bobbed gently in the water.

"A gondola?" Jack regarded the dark vessel skeptically. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it was created out of the dark dreamsand, and glittered faintly under the canal lights.

"Of course. It's Venice, after all. Though people today use the _vaporetti_ more often. I'm just old-fashioned. Besides, how many cities can you explore by boat?"

Jack glided onto the little vessel, settling on the narrow bow as Pitch maneuvered it away from the pathway. "So, why did you settle here?" Jack gazed up at the tall, clustered buildings. Lights shone in many windows, reflected in the swirling waters. "Shouldn't you be in a graveyard or someplace more iono, spooky?"

"The dead cannot feel fear. That is reserved for the living, and Venice is certainly lively." Pitch guided the gondola expertly through the black water. "I've a certain fondness for the citizens here. Throughout the centuries, they have faced plagues, war, and floods. The city sinks, yet they persevere. Even now, when the _acqua alta_ occurs, they continue with life as usual. Most people would be put off if their streets ended up underwater on a regular basis." His eyes took on a distant look. "I was driven here at the end of the Dark Ages by the Guardians. I suppose you could say it grew on me, and I decided to stay. The coffee's good, too."

"You like coffee? Isn't that kind of an oxymoron or something for someone who deals with dreams?" Jack smiled. He had a hard time imagining Pitch downing expressos.

"I'm not the one who needs to sleep. I will drink as much caffeine as I desire. I just have to keep the Nightmares away from it."

"...What happens if you don't?"

"They explode. At least Sprinkles is smart enough to realize this."

Jack wasn't sure if he should laugh or feel sorry for the creatures. They would probably just re-form anyway. He shouldn't feel so fond of bad dreams, but he liked the equine spirits. They had personalities, unlike Sandy's creations. The little boat traveled onward, and Jack turned his attention to the buildings passing by on either side, elegant and crumbling. He wondered if they were comfortable inside. "Are they all houses?"

"Many are hotels. There's almost more tourists here nowadays than actual residents. It has its benefits, though. They like legends and stories because they're so quaint, even if it makes the locals roll their eyes. Tell them a place is haunted, and they'll believe it. I have fun with tourists, especially at Ca' Dario and Poveglia." He chuckled.

"Tsk, scaring the tourists. That's not nice." Jack feigned horror.

"And yet, they keep coming."

Jack began to feel more relaxed as they traveled. Pitch pointed out various famous locations including the aforementioned haunted house, and Jack committed them to memory. He wasn't much interested in history or architecture, but not many people could claim to have a tour guide who had been around when some of these places had been built. Pitch made it interesting. His voice was hypnotizing, and Jack found he enjoyed listening to it. He trailed a hand in the water, creating little swirls of frost that drifted away from the gondola's side before fading away. He always felt like he was a burden to the other Guardians whenever he showed up at their homes or encountered them in his travels. They were always busy with this or that, and talking with Jack was secondary to whatever task was at hand. Pitch was different.

He wasn't in a hurry. He wasn't trying to paint eggs or build toys while nodding absently at Jack. He _listened. _It was true that when they had been enemies, he'd tried to lure Jack over to his side, but now they were on the same team. Jack didn't sense any ulterior motive in Pitch's actions this time, but he had to wonder why Pitch was doing it. Was he still lonely, even though he now had Seraphina? The fact that the gondola had been there at the dock seemed to indicate that Pitch had known he would show up. Maybe the Nightmares had alerted him. Whatever the reason, he'd taken time out of his own schedule to show Jack around. Not only that, he seemed to be enjoying it. Jack wasn't used to someone going out of their way to talk to him just because they wanted to. Aside from Jamie, no one did that. They were all too preoccupied. Pitch's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Ah, here we are."

They had traveled south from the Rialto Bridge, sometimes turning from the Canal Grande onto the smaller side waterways, winding their way through the nighttime city. They were back in the main channel now, and a stately white building appeared to their left. This area looked more familiar to Jack; it was where he had landed on his first trip. "I know this place. Piazza San Marco, right?" Jack pointed to the tall clock tower to the sprawling building's left.

"Yes. The white building with the domes is _Palazzo Ducale_, Doge's Palace. Ages ago it was the home of the Republic's top authority." Pitch flashed an amused sneer. "Now it is a museum where I am sure you and I are unwelcome. You've probably noticed it's also the most easily-visible place in the city." The gondola swept past the grand edifice, turning down a side canal. "And here. Follow this to the corner, then 3,2,1. Third right, second left, first right." Pitch pulled up to a narrow landing. "And follow this path to its end. I take it you won't get lost from now on?" He shot Jack a sideways look.

Jack hopped out of the shimmering boat. "Past the Palace to the corner, 3R,2L,1R. Yeah, I got it." He hadn't realized how close it had been to the Piazza. Well, he had been wandering around a bit before the finding the Nightmare. It was easy to get turned around in the narrow alleys. Jack gazed down the path to the abandoned, greenery-draped building. He wanted to stay here longer. He felt more welcome, more wanted here than he had at the North Pole with its grumbling Yetis and ever-present elves. As much as he loved the action of the workshop, it was almost too much at times. Venice had a different vibe. Jack sighed. He knew it was impossible, though. He had a job to do, and so did Pitch. Besides, Jack didn't want to wear out his welcome. Chances are he'd end up saying or doing something stupid, because he excelled at that. Maybe if he only appeared in small doses Pitch wouldn't get tired of him. He glanced at the other Guardian. Pitch's gold eyes met his, and Jack tried to push the worries from his mind.

"You do realize that whether you are thinking about it or not, I still know what it is you fear," Pitch said quietly.

He did not elaborate, and Jack tried to think of a smart retort. The only thing he managed was "I gotta go. I promised my friends in Burgess a Snow Day." He paused. "But...I enjoyed tonight...Thanks. I needed that."

"You are wearing yourself out, Jack. For what reason, I do not understand. However, your decisions are your own. Remember that." Pitch melted into the shadows, and Jack found himself alone once more. He rubbed the back of his neck . Hadn't Seraphina told him something similar? Did he look so bad that the Pitchiners, of all people, were worrying about him? Jack wandered to the water's edge, peering over to contemplate his own reflection. He might have looked a little tired, but nothing too bad. He'd made it through September in one piece. Only the rest of eternity to go.


	4. Halloween

As October began, Jack's spirits rose. The night in Venice, though short, had done wonders for his mental state, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd been that relaxed. As he headed back to his hometown, Jack began to feel almost like himself again. He was still irritated with this entire business, but it felt like things were getting better. And now, today, he could give his human friends the Snow Day they'd longed for.

Burgess weather forecasters were confounded by the sudden inexplicable snowstorm that occurred during what was otherwise a perfectly normal Fall week. It wasn't enough to close any schools, but Jamie and his friends were ecstatic. Jack and the kids had a real snowball fight, the first in what felt like ages. For a little while at least, Jack was able to forget his frustration. He darted around, tossing perfect icy orbs at the nearest target.

"Whoo-hoo! This is awesome!" Caleb flopped back into the snow, flailing to make a snow angel.

"Yeah!" Jamie laughed. "Snow Days are the best!"

Jack grinned. "And there's more where that came from, I promise!" He leapt onto a nearby fence, balancing on the narrow edge. "I can't leave my friends snow-less for too long!" He was glad that the kids' harrowing encounter with the Winter Court hadn't affected their love of snow and cold. They were a hardy little bunch. Then again, Burgess folk had always been.

"Snow snow sno..oops!" Sophie bounced around in her oversize rain boots, tripping over Abby the greyhound. She picked herself up again and continued stomping around the yard. "Snow and pretty leaves!" She giggled, jumping on a small pile of them. "Crunch!" Jack's eyes traveled over the little neighborhood. Sophie was right. Everything was bright Fall colors interspersed with shining white snow. Burgess was beautiful in any Season, though. Winter may have been Jack's favorite overall, but Fall had the best scents. He inhaled deeply. The air smelled of cinnamon, apples, and woodsmoke.

"We're growing pumpkins this year!" Cupcake gestured toward the garden beside her house. "They should be nice and big by Halloween! You'll be here for Halloween, won't you? I mean, with your busy schedule and all..." She looked at Jack hopefully, and the others followed her example.

"Halloween...OH that's coming up!" Jack ran his hands through his pale hair. How could he have forgotten that? It was one of his favorite holidays. There was always plenty of mischief to get into, and of course he'd never pass up free candy. "Of course I will! Speaking of schedule...Ack!" He glanced up at the sky, realizing evening was swiftly approaching, and he'd spent nearly the entire day with the kids. "I gotta be in Moscow soon! I better get flying." Jack groaned. He didn't want to leave his friends so soon, but duty called. Summoning the wind, he rose swiftly into the air.

"Aww, already?" Jamie frowned. "But you like, just got here!"

"Hey, I'll see you all again before you know it! You better keep on having fun, okay? Bye!" Jack waved, sending a flurry of little snowflakes winding toward the kids, then took off. His friends ran after him as far as the end of the street, waving and pelting one another with snowballs. Jack gave them a final fond glance, and soared into the cool evening air. From higher up, the town looked even more spectacular. It was a patchwork of red, gold, green, all dusted with white. His little pond glinted in the last rays of the sinking Autumn sun. _Well, back to the grind_.

Jack still couldn't decide if he was actually getting used to this whole Responsible Guardian thing, or simply exhausted and deluding himself into thinking he was. Over the next several days he felt equal amounts of _maybe this isn't so bad after all_ and _I want to throw myself into the Arctic Ocean._ As the days in Venice and Burgess faded into the past, the latter feeling began to take over again. Things were tolerable, but they weren't necessarily _right_. Jack was nothing if not determined, though, and so he plowed onward.

The second week of October found him in Istanbul. Jack crouched on the roof of the Grand Bazaar, eating _dondurma_ and watching the tourists below with amusement. Sometimes they would get frustrated as the vendor swiftly tilted the cone out of their reach, or whipped it away with a grin. The sticky ice cream was served with a long paddle, and the process of getting the cone to the customer was a show in itself. To the uninitiated, it could be downright frustrating. To the observers, it was hilarious.

Jack had managed to swipe a cone from a distracted vendor, though he had left some lira to make up for it. One thing about being around for centuries, there was a lot of loose change to collect. Jack had little caches of coins and bills stashed around the world for those times when he felt like being a good boy. Sometimes he'd use them to pay for food or clothes, other times he'd leave them lying around for some needy child to find.

Eventually Jack grew bored with the _dondurma_ stalls and drifted down to wander the city's side alleys. As the shadows began to deepen, Jack sensed one of them moving out of the corner of his eye. He wasn't going to be caught by surprise this time. "Hey, I see you there!" he called. The darkness rose, condensing into Pitch's lanky form. The Nightmare King regarded him with mock amazement.

"Your powers of observation are simply stunning."

Jack ignored the sarcasm. "Fancy meeting you here. Out for a little evening stroll?" Jack smirked.

"Purely business." Pitch gestured toward one of the nearby houses. "The boy that lives there hasn't been getting along with his parents. So argumentative. I believe a little Nightmare is in order."

Jack paused, his little grin vanishing. He was so used to seeing them now that he sometimes forgot just what the Nightmares did. Pitch still used them to give children bad dreams. Jack felt a little uncomfortable at the thought, but reminded himself that Pitch was one of them now. The Guardian of Courage. The Nightmare King knew what he was doing, and it was all part of keeping the balance. The other Guardians rewarded the good children, while Pitch dealt with the naughty ones. That was the deal they had worked out after Mab's defeat.

"Stop looking so concerned." Pitch gave him a dismissive wave. "Sometimes fear does what all your little warm fuzzy feelings cannot. What happens when a young child awakens from a bad dream? They run to their parents for comfort. Nightmares makes little quarrels seem so unimportant. Fear can bring people together just as much as it can drive them apart. The trick is knowing the right amount."

"I never really thought about it like that I guess..." Now that his memories had been unlocked, Jack sometimes had flashbacks to his previous life. He remembered his sister, and how she would sometimes come to him during the night if she'd had a bad dream. Sometimes they would get up and sit by the fire, and he'd make up stories to make her laugh.

"Of course not. All you good little Guardians ever think about are the negative aspects. It's not all bad. Now if you'll excuse me." Pitch prowled down the alleyway, but he stopped again after a few steps. "What does the busy little frost sprite have scheduled for the end of October?"

"Huh?" Jack blinked. "End of...Oh, Halloween!" He'd forgotten. Again. Talk about brain freeze.

"Yes, that would be it." Pitch gave another one of those little half-grins. "Are you free? I was thinking. If we worked together we could make this year quite memorable. Not as cold and dark, but-"

Jack grinned. "Fun and fear?" That little sideways smile made its way to the other half of Pitch's face in response. "I think I can deal with that!" Jack grinned in return, the snapped his fingers. "But I promised Jamie I'd go back to Burgess, too."

"Start on the East Coast and work westward. We've got all the time in the world." Pitch's molten gold eyes shone in the gathering darkness.

Jack was starting to get excited now. It could work. Moving from east to west they'd be going back in time, in a manner of speaking. Not just that, there were certain nights of the year where time flowed differently for certain spirits. Christmas for North, Easter for Bunny. Of course Halloween would be Pitch's night, wouldn't it? This could be _fun_. Really fun. And, he could keep his promise to his friends as well. A thought occurred to him. "Hey, how come you don't re-open the Burgess passage?"

Pitch stared at him. "Do you live under a rock, Frost? I did that months ago."

"You didn't tell me that!"

"You didn't ask."

"I've been going all the way to Venice..."

Pitch rubbed his forehead. "You make it sound like it's difficult for you. And besides, I thought you liked Venice. I'm surprised your little friend didn't say anything to you, he's the one who told me I should." He chuckled. "You know he wanted me to read him and his friends that 'Scary Stories' book during one of their camp-outs? No one's ever asked me something like that. That Jamie is an unusual boy. I'm interested to see where his life takes him." He turned toward the darkened alley once more. "Now, I've got children to scare, and you've fun to spread. Let us meet again, Jack. All Hallows Eve." Pitch stepped back, melting into the shadows.

Jack stood a moment longer, staring after him. It slowly started to sink into his brain that Pitch had done it again. He'd asked Jack specifically to spend time with him. No other spirits did that. Oh, certain ones would sometimes call to him to join in a gathering or two now that he was a Guardian, but only if he happened to be passing by. He got general invitations, the kind that any halfway interesting passerby would get.

No one but the Burgess kids wanted to be with Jack Frost just because he was just plain old Jack Frost. The beings that did finally show interest in him only did so because he was a Guardian. It was true that even Pitch hadn't paid him much heed before that time either, but then again he'd had some fairly large issues of his own to deal with in centuries past. Now that Jack had his attention, though, it was looking more and more like he had it for good.

Jack wasn't sure what he should consider the Nightmare King. Was he a...friend? He'd never thought of what the term should be. Ally? They had fought a common enemy together. The Burgess kids were his friends. The Guardians were his friends, even if he was at odds with their way of doing things. Pitch...Pitch was Pitch. Jack pulled the crumpled, torn planner from his pocket. He smoothed it out and scribbled HALLOWEEN in giant letters across October 31st. He'd get to spend it with Jamie and Pitch. His_ friends_. A grin spread across Jack's face. Now this was a plan he could look forward to.

Jack spent the rest of the month trying to make sure that everything was perfect. There were leaves to change, frost to spread, and kids to cheer. The days grew shorter, and the evening air grew chill. In the places where people celebrated Halloween, pumpkins of all shapes and sizes appeared on porches and fences. Children started planning out their costumes, and telling scary stories to one another.

Jack was able to keep to his plans fairly well, but by the morning of the 31st, he gave up and abandoned them completely. Too excited to care anymore, he flew straight to Burgess just as the sun was beginning to rise. Jack passed over his friends' houses, landing in the forest clearing near his pond as the first rays began to peek over the horizon. Sure enough, there was a yawning hole in the ground that he'd been to tired to notice on his previous trips. The old wooden bed frame that had covered it was gone, but they could always find another. Jack dropped down into the dark passage without a second thought. This particular route held no fear for him anymore.

The tunnel opened into the transformed Globe Room. Seraphina was sitting beneath one of the Fall trees, a Premonition in her lap. Her garb matched the surrounding landscape in its fiery reds and golds. A few Nightmares swirled around, giving him curious glances. Seraphina looked up as Jack approached, and the Premonition yawned with a complete lack of interest. "Welcome, Jack. I thought you might show up."

"Morning, Seraphina! Figured I might drop in a little early. If that's okay, I mean..." Jack smiled, trying not to bounce too much, and she nodded. He searched the room for Pitch, finding the Nightmare King sprawled beneath one of the other trees. He'd mistaken the man for a shadow at first glance.

"Um, are you okay?" He flew over, landing in the branches above.

"No." Pitch mumbled faintly. "I want to crawl into a hole and die."

"You live in a hole, and you're immortal again." Jack would have felt more concerned if not for the fact that Seraphina was acting so nonchalant. "What happened?"

"S_omeone _decided it was a good idea to eat an entire bag of candy corn by himself in one sitting." Seraphina said in a tone that indicated this wasn't an unusual occurrence. "He'll be fine, he's just being dramatic."

"Wow, someone's got a sweet tooth." Jack filed this knowledge away. He really didn't know what kinds of things Pitch enjoyed, aside from scaring people. It would be nice to know what else, if anything, he liked. Jack had a strange desire to find ways to make Pitch happy. He'd gotten a genuine smile out of the man on a few occasions, and the expression looked good on him. It needed to happen more often. Jack loved making people smile, it was part of what he did as the Guardian of Fun. Right now though, the Nightmare King was looking even more pallid than normal. "The day has hardly even started. Shouldn't you have waited?"

"Told him to." Seraphina sniffed.

Pitch sat up. "I am just fine...or..." he flopped back. "I will be in a few moments."

Jack bounced on the branch a little, causing several bright leaves to drift down onto Pitch's inky robe and earning him a searing silver glare. The frost spirit simply smirked in return. He wanted to get back to the world above and see what Jamie and his friends were up to. It was finally, _finally_ Halloween, the one night of the year where mischievous spirits like him had free reign.

After a few minutes, Pitch picked himself up, brushing the offending leaves away. "Since Frost looks like he's going to explode if he doesn't find something constructive to do, let's see what his little friends are up to." He gazed up at Jack. "You do realize, Jack, that this is one of the few days of the year where anyone could see you? A day where mortals masquerade as spirits, and spirits mortals. We shall have to refrain from using our powers... too much." There was that lopsided grin again, the one that Jack couldn't seem to help returning.

He thought for a moment. He'd never been quite sure, but he'd always suspected it was something like that. There were times in Halloweens past when Jack thought that maybe, just maybe, humans had noticed him. Even if they quickly brushed him off as a ghost or a trick of the light, it had been enough to give him hope. Those moments had been fleeting, though. It must have been the same for Pitch, when he had been all but forgotten.

"Do we have a plan?"

"Aside from those delightful Burgess brats that you're determined to see? Not one. I'd say you've probably had enough of plans to last a few centuries."

"Don't remind me." He turned to Seraphina. "Are you going to join us?"

"I suppose I should make sure the two of you don't cause too much trouble. Or overdose on sugar." This last was not directed at Jack. Pitch simply gave her a look of refined indignation.

It was well into the afternoon when the trio made their way to the surface. Jack could hear the sound of his friend's voices ahead, he smiled, waving at the other two to follow him. The kids were sitting on the front lawn of Cupcake's house, preparing to carve pumpkins. Sophie was bouncing around in her giant boots as usual, while Caleb and Claude were arguing over whose pumpkin design was scarier. Cupcake was busy scooping out pumpkin guts while Pippa and Monty picked out the seeds to roast later. Jamie was sketching out his design on a fat orange pumpkin. Jack formed a small snowball, tossing toward his friend.

"Hey! Who?" The boy's head snapped up. Jack snickered and ducked back behind the house's wall. He darted to the other side, throwing a second snowball. He heard Jamie laugh again, and turned to dash to a new location. He stopped when Pitch made a startled noise behind him.

"Hehe, you like butterflies."

Jack whirled, only to see that Sophie had somehow discovered them, and was now clinging to Pitch's leg. The expression on his face was priceless, and Jack had all he could do to not burst out laughing. Seraphina looked as if she were doing the same.

"Get...her...off..." Pitch hissed.

Jamie and the others rounded the corner. "Jack! _Sophie!_ No, you can't do that he's the _Nightmare King!" _He managed to pry his little sister away. She just giggled again, and Seraphina could no longer contain her own laughter. Jamie's horrified expression vanished. "You both came! And whoa, Mother Nature is here too!"

"Pretty!" said Sophie, gazing up at her with wide eyes. "Butterflies!"

"I don't know what she's talking about, but you should see our pumpkins! They're gonna be great!" Jamie grabbed Jack's hand and began trying to drag him toward the house.

"Whoa there, kid. We gotta be careful today, people might see us. Not just you, I mean like, anyone. If we get caught I don't know what would happen. Trouble, probably. Whatever it is, North and the others probably wouldn't be happy, that's for sure!"

"Aww. I don't want to get you on the Naughty List. Oh! You should see downtown. It's aaaaall decorated and stuff. There's lanterns and skeletons and everything! We're gonna go a bit later for trick-or-treating!"

Jack and the others hid along the side of the house, watching the kids carve their pumpkins for a bit before heading downtown as Jamie suggested. Even this early the place was already bustling, and they had trouble keeping a low profile. After a while, the gave up completely. There were so many costumed pedestrians milling about that all three of them blended right in, though Pitch's "crazy creepy makeup" earned them a wide berth. Jack darted a glance up at him. The man was grinning like a kid in a candy store.

When it seemed that they were attracting a bit too much attention, the three ducked into a side alley for some quiet. Further ahead, Jack noticed that a little outdoor theater had been set up where they were projecting horror movies onto the side of one of the buildings. Making sure the little passage was empty, he soared up to the roof to get a better view. Pitch and Seraphina materialized silently behind him.

Jack wasn't particularly into anything graphic, but he enjoyed the really cheesy old flicks. This was a newer film though. The plot seemed to be...

…

"Wait, _what?_"

Pitch let out a sudden, surprising burst of laughter. Jack could only sputter, "What the heck? What is that even...That's...that's not me!" Apparently some humans knew of Jack Frost only as a murderous mutant snowman.

"I...aha...forgot about those movies..." Pitch gasped.

"Those? There's _more than one?_" Jack stared. Pitch was now laughing so hard he nearly fell off the ledge he was perched on. Seraphina had to drag both of them away from the roof's edge before someone below noticed.

After watching a few more minutes of _whatever that was,_ Jack decided to head back to the town square and look for his friends. Day was slowly turning into evening, and he wanted to see their costumes before they continued west. He found Jamie and his sister gathered by the statue in the town square.

Jamie wore gray army fatigues and a vest with a lighter fur collar. Sophie was dressed in a bright green fluffy coat, with her usual giant boots and pink fairy wings. Jamie noticed him, and the two bounded through the crowd.

"Jack! There you are! Isn't it fun?"

It took Jack a second to notice the colored eggs tucked in Jamie's belt, and the gummie teeth Sophie was playing with. "Jamie, are you-?"

"Bunny!" Sophie giggled. "And Fairy!" She offered Jack a set of gummy teeth.

"Guess you're not scared of these anymore, huh?" Jack grinned, accepting the candy.

"What a wonderful choice of costumes." Pitch mumbled dryly from behind him.

"I was gonna make Abby look like Sprinkles, but she didn't like it when I tried to duct tape black yarn on her." Jamie said apologetically.

Yes...well..." Pitch seemed uncertain of just how to respond to that. Jack could see he still didn't quite know how to deal with the human boy. Jamie had been Pitch's destruction, and his salvation. Friend or foe, Jamie was the one child who had always believed in him, and he knew it now. Pitch cleared his throat. "We've much to do tonight. We should move on. Are you quite done here, Jack?"

He nodded, and ruffled Jamie's hair. "Bunny and Tooth are gonna be so happy when I tell them about you and Sophie. We've gotta go now though. Lots to do. Don't eat too much candy!"

From Burgess, they didn't head west as Jack suspected they would. Pitch decided on a slight detour to Atlantic City instead. There, he claimed, they would probably find someone that Jack would enjoy meeting. He simply nodded in agreement. After weeks of following that accursed schedule, he was more than happy to let Pitch lead the way. Tonight he was just along for the ride, and he was determined to enjoy every minute of it, wherever the Nightmare King's fancies led them. Once they reached the busy seaside resort, he scanned the crowds of revelers on the boardwalk. "Ah, there." Pitch gestured toward a tall figure dressed in an orange and black hockey jersey designated LEEDS 13.

"Thought I might find you here," Pitch called as they approached. The tall creature turned, and Jack saw that he had an equine face and cloven hooves. A pair of leathery wings were folded against his sides.

"Pitch Black? Whoa, haven't seen you in forever!" The strange being grinned, showing sharp fangs. "Halloween brings out all the interesting folks. Mother Nature too? And who we got here?"

"Jack Frost. Jack, this is the Jersey Devil."

"Wow, hi!" Jack remembered the name from somewhere. Jamie. "I have a friend who would probably flip out if he knew I'd met you."

"Always nice to know I've got fans. Seen you are around a few times too, but never got around to saying 'hi'. Shame, us East Coast spirits should stick together."

"It's ok, a lot of people never got around to it." Jack said, before realizing it may have come out harsher than expected. "I mean...I wasn't the most exciting person before."

"That's no excuse, folks can still be civil. But I suppose I don't have the best reputation around, do I? I'm terrifying. Especially if you're a cow. But you're not, so nothing to worry about." His forked tail swished. Jack decided that he liked the Jersey Devil. Like so many spirits that he'd met lately, the creature wasn't at all what he'd have expected. The Devil continued, "You and Pitch are the newest Guardians, right? Never saw that coming. You can call me JD, by the way." He gestured to the jersey he was wearing. "Halloween's great though, they just think I'm the mascot for the Devils. One of the vendors here thinks it's such an awesome costume he gives me free hot dogs whenever I stop by."

The strange group wandered through the crowd for a while. "Always so hard to keep out of sight lately, now that everyone's got a camera of some form. Back in the day it was just some kid with nothing more than a story to tell. Now they're taking videos on their phones. Gotta make sure folks don't forget me, but one wrong move and it'll be news crews everywhere. I don't need a bunch of reporters stomping around the Barrens. It's funny though, tonight the best place to hide is right in the middle of everything! And I get free food." JD stared out over the milling costumed humans, then grinned at Jack.

"Yeah, I'm still getting used to it."

"At least you aren't a cryptid, kid. Me and folks like Sasquatch and Champ gotta worry about crazed hunters and the like. You elementals got it pretty good as far as spirits go. You can kind of just-" he waved a clawed hand. "Poof away."

They continued down the boardwalk. Every so often someone would glance nervously in their direction, and a few people even ran off for no apparent reason. Jack suspected Pitch must have been toying with them somehow. A small smile hung on his lips, and his golden eyes glinted in the twilight.

Jack often found his gaze traveling to those shining eyes. They were mesmerizing. Sometimes there was more silver to them, sometimes more gold. Jack wasn't certain if it had to do with Pitch's mood, or just the way the light hit them. He shook himself, not wanting the other man to catch him staring. That would be weird, yet tearing himself away was difficult. He'd never seen anyone with more entrancing eyes. He jumped slightly when Pitch spoke again.

"The night moves on. We should as well."

"Oh, right." Jack fumbled in his hoodie pocket for a piece of paper he hadn't scribbled on yet. "JD, could you sign something for my friend Jamie? He really is a big fan!" He offered the paper.

"That the kid that helped you stop this guy and the Winter Queen? I can do better than a paper for him!" JD took off the hockey helmet he was wearing, and pulled a pen from his pocket. "Gotta be prepared for Devils fans." He scrawled a signature on the helmet and handed it to Jack. "Give him this. Tell him to keep on believing! And happy Halloween!"

Jack thanked him, and the trio turned westward. After Atlantic City, there didn't seem to be a particular rhyme or reason to Pitch's decisions. Sometimes they would simply wander through the streets, getting free candy as people complimented them on their "cool costumes." Other times, Pitch and Jack took a more active role, ensuring that the local "haunted house" was in fact, haunted. Dropping a snowball down someone's shirt in a completely dark room earned Jack a lot of screams and a more than a few explicatives. Still other times, they would take a break to catch a glimpse of the outdoor horror movie showings. One of the films was an old black and white movie about giant rabbits attacking a town. _Oh man, I gotta show Bunny this one_.

The Devils helmet was too big to fit in his pocket, so Jack took to wearing it, holding his staff as if it were a hockey stick. The humans that could see him were too busy gawking at Pitch and Seraphina to notice his awkward "costume". It didn't really matter though. He was having fun just watching everyone. Or rather, watching Pitch's reactions to everyone. He seemed so happy to be out in the open like this, and walked with a little bounce in his step. Jack remembered what Seraphina had said about him dancing when happy. He could definitely see it now. Jack caught her eye, and she smiled at him, giving a knowing little wink.

In the next haunted house they visited, Pitch sent more than one group of cocky visitors running for their lives, chased by shadows only they could see. "That's what they get for saying they aren't afraid of the dark. They will be now. I'm sure they will have some wonderful Nightmares tonight." He chuckled. "Oh but they were asking for it, weren't they?"

Jack grinned. "It will be a Halloween to remember, that's for sure!" He'd given a few people a good scare himself, when he'd taken to the air after being startled by a group of surprisingly sneaky teenagers. They must have thought he was a ghost. No problems there, right? Not on Halloween!

Seraphina left the party somewhere in the midwest, saying she had some other business to attend to. Pitch and Jack moved on. There was always another gathering, another haunted house. There were always more people to trick, and more mischief to cause. Jack was having the time of his life.

They found another theater setup, and settled on a nearby rooftop. Pitch seemed to like the more psychological flicks, and monster movies. Jack realized, over the course of the evening, that the Nightmare King almost as prone to being startled by jump scares as he was. It amused him.

"Well of course, the body reacts reflexively to certain things. I'm not immune to it, and a good thing too." Pitch responded smoothly when Jack pointed it out. "Things that don't have that reaction tend to not exist for very long."

Despite the horror of finding himself portrayed as a killer ball of snow, the movies were probably Jack's favorite part of the night. Pitch loved them as well, having personally known many of the old actors and directors. "Not everyone sees fear and darkness the same way as the Guardians. People like these." He gestured to the screen, where Bela Lugosi was playing his famous Dracula. "They enjoy scaring, and being scared. When moving pictures were invented, it allowed people to bring the monsters in their heads to life in a way books could not. Hehehe. I have made it a point to go to the premiere of every horror movie since their creation. I love seeing what humans come up with. What fear and darkness have inspired."

They finished their cross-country journey, appropriately enough, in Hollywood. The costumes here were bigger and crazier than any Jack had seen before. He and Pitch looked absolutely normal by comparison. Ghouls and goblins, heroes and villains, monsters and angels. He saw a little bit of everything, including things that made him wonder just what the humans wearing them were thinking. After a time though, the lights and the sounds were almost too much for Jack. He loved being around people, and being in the middle of all the action, but sometimes it was just too overwhelming. He was a country boy from a small town at heart, and the long night of adventuring was finally catching up to him. Pitch must have sensed his discomfort, and indicated that they should retreat to the rooftops. Jack was only too happy to comply, though it was difficult to find one that wasn't brightly lit in garish colors.

"Wow. They sure know how to throw a party here." Jack sat on the edge, rubbing his head. Pitch settled nearby, long legs hanging over the side.

"Well, it is Hollywood."

"At the end of the day, I'll take Burgess." Jack gazed over the city. "But that was amazing. We...we did it!" He stared at Pitch, a grin spreading across his face. "Pennsylvania to California. I mean...I know it's not as crazy as what North has to go through but still..._We did it_!" He laughed despite his exhaustion.

"Of course. Did you think we wouldn't?" Pitch looked amused.

Once again Jack had to force himself not to stare at those luminous eyes. He turned his attention instead to the brightening sky. Morning was coming. They'd crossed the country in one crazy Halloween night, and it had been incredible. Incredibly fun and incredibly tiring. Jack couldn't suppress his yawn. Sitting down had caused the exhaustion to hit him hard, and he was going to need actual sleep after this. Even Jack Frost had his limits. Beside him, Pitch rose.

"Come, Jack. You look like you're about to melt into a slush puddle."

"'M fine.". Jack dragged himself to his feet using the staff as a crutch, and followed Pitch's lanky shadow across the roof. They drifted back down to the streets below, toward the Chinese Theater. Pitch turned down a side street nearby and ducked into a shadowed alleyway. Jack followed, and after a few moments realized that the darkness had given way to a familiar space. They were back in the Globe Room of Pitch's lair. He blinked. "You've got an entrance here too?"

"I told you, I like watching movie premieres. Where better than Hollywood?" Pitch continued through the cavern, and down a passage at one end. Jack trudged after. "Here."

"Huh?" Jack looked up. The passage opened into a little room. It had a bed and some furnishings. Despite the peeling walls, it looked comfortable. There were windows too, looking onto clustered, timeworn buildings. This must be part of the abandoned building in Venice above Pitch's lair.

"You may use this whenever you wish. It's safe from prying human eyes, they don't bother with this building lest they disturb _il diavolo_."

Jack decided that he'd worry about feeling surprised by the gesture after he'd gotten some sleep. He set JD's helmet the little table by the bed. He'd have to give it to Jamie tomorrow. In the meantime...He sprawled out on the slightly creaky mattress. Even a rock would have felt like heaven at this point. He wasn't going to complain about a few loose springs. Jack heard the soft rustling of fabric as Pitch turned to leave. "Thanks," he mumbled sleepily. "Happy Halloween, Pitch."

There was a pause. "... Happy Halloween, Jack."


	5. Rhymes with Stupid

_Author's notes: In which PitA says she'll update quite soon and then doesn't do a single thing for two months. For those loyal followers, I apologize. Thanks for your patience. PitA has the attention span of a certain frost sprite. The funny thing is this is the chapter I've been wanting to write pretty much since The Last Guardian. I hope you enjoy it. As always, feedback is appreciated. Keep on believing!_

A deep growl of thunder woke Jack from his slumber. The rumble faded, replaced by the steady patter of rain. The frost spirit blinked sleepily, trying to get his bearings. Blue eyes traveled along the cracked, peeling walls of the room, then to the clustered buildings visible through the dusty windows. The air smelled of wet stone and mildew, the way old houses often do when they're near water. Venice. He was in Venice, that's right. Pitch had allowed him to crash here after their cross-country Halloween journey. The idea that he'd just woken up in Pitch's lair didn't alarm him as much as it should have. In fact, he felt oddly comfortable.

Jack sat up with a yawn. He thought he saw something large and dark disappear swiftly down the shadowed hallway leading from his room, but he couldn't be sure. It hadn't been Pitch, it seemed too big. A Nightmare, maybe, sent to watch over him? Jack smiled. Wouldn't that be ironic? Well, the room was still technically part of the Nightmare King's realm. At least whatever it was had let him sleep peacefully. His eyes traveled to the Jersey Devil's hockey helmet sitting on the bedside desk.

Jamie was going to love this. Jack smiled as he recalled the previous night's adventure. It had been _fun_, the most fun he'd had in what felt like ages. Amazing how just two month's worth of adhering to a Guardian's schedule had worn him out. Last night had been spontaneous. Free. For just a little while, things had felt right again. And Pitch...Pitch had been having fun too. It was a side of him that Jack had never expected to see. A side that he enjoyed seeing. One that the other Guardians probably didn't even know existed.

Jack could only hope he'd get to see more of it, though he tried not to get his hopes up too much. There was no telling if this was the new normal. It could just be the euphoria of finally being believed in. Or the fact that Halloween was probably Pitch's favorite holiday. He likely realized that Jack was the only Guardian who didn't look down on him, who shared some of his interests. Nothing more. Jack felt his mood dropping again. He was Jack Frost, after all. The one who eventually got left behind, forgotten. The little snow spirit who wasn't really that important.

No! He shook his head. No, that was the old Jack. Before the Moon, before the Guardians. He was different now. After more than three hundred years, things were finally starting to change. He wasn't invisible. He wouldn't be ever again, as long as kids like Jamie existed. Jack ran a hand through his pale hair. Even after everything that had happened, it was still difficult to accept that he was someone now. The fear was always there, that the loneliness of centuries past would return. That the Guardians and Pitch would just drift away from him, like everyone else had. It was hard to come to terms with the fact that maybe, just maybe someone actually was starting to enjoy his presence. Three hundred years had taught him to be wary.

Jack sighed and contemplated the signature scrawled on the helmet. He'd made a new friend last night. JD seemed like a sincere sort of cryptid. He'd have to visit the Pine Barrens sometime to say hi. Jack stretched and slid off the creaky mattress. Things would get better. He had to believe that. He wouldn't be forgotten again. He had friends now, and that little number was growing steadily. He was Jack Frost, after all. That meant snowballs and fun times. Of course, he was also a Guardian with a schedule. That meant hard work and deadlines.

Jack pulled the planner from his pocket. It was November now. He hadn't even gotten started on this month's schedule. Ugh. He should have been excited. November meant Fall would soon turn to Winter. Fiery orange would give way to frozen white, and he'd have free reign over the northern hemisphere. There would be snowflakes and snowstorms, icy ponds and frosted windowpanes. Only now, he'd have to plan it all. He stuffed the paper back into his pocket. He should probably check in with North, since it was also Holiday Crunch time. Maybe the other Guardian could help him work it all out. Winter weather was important to North's entire deal, after all.

Jack picked up JD's helmet and headed down the shadowed hallway leading from his little room. He'd thank Pitch for his hospitality, drop the present off in Burgess, and then head for the Workshop. Fun. After a short distance, the passageway opened into the Globe Room. Jack couldn't figure out how the halls in Pitch's lair worked. It was different from the Workshop, or Tooth Palace. It must have been more like Bunny's Warren. No matter what corridor he used to enter, he'd end up in the great room. That part made sense, but Jack was certain that he used the same tunnel to leave to both Burgess and upper Venice. It seemed to lead to whichever location he had arrived from. Whatever magic controlled the passages, it confused him to think about it.

The Globe Room was filled with the usual assortment of Nightmares and Premonitions. Pitch stood in front of the skeletal Globe, observing the shining gold lights. Upon seeing him, Jack felt suddenly awkward. He'd just spent the night in _Pitch's lair_, of all places. The other Guardians would probably think he was nuts if they ever found out. It wasn't exactly the kind of place you'd want to crash in. _Oh yeah, I had a really good night's sleep in the Nightmare Realm. Triple A, four stars_. _Not one Nightmare even. Do I deduct points for that?_ Though, to be fair, the place looked a lot less intimidating now that Seraphina had added a few of her own touches. The drifting butterflies and fireflies didn't exactly scream terrifying. Jack hovered above the shining Globe, trying to figure out what to say..

He settled for simply,"Morning!"

"_Afternoon_, Jack. You slept in." Pitch regarded him with an unreadable expression.

"Yeah, well..." Jack put on a casual look, trying not to stare into those shining eyes. "I figured I should rest up before Responsible Guardian duties. Yeah." He held up the helmet. "I gotta drop this off at Jamie's, then check in at the Workshop." He glanced at the sparkling lights. "They should all be good and bright after that Halloween!"

"I do believe they are. I've not had a Halloween like that in ages."

_Maybe...we do kind of work well together_, Jack thought. He couldn't help grinning, and he could see that little half-smile playing on the edge of Pitch's lips as well. He'd done something right. He hadn't screwed up. Now, if he could just keep it up. That meant sticking to his duties. "I've gotta go. I...thanks...for letting me stay here. I didn't mean to just pass out like that."

"Well, it was a long night for a little frost sprite," Pitch's tone held mock pity.

"Hey! I've just had a long few months."

"Oh, I can hardly imagine what that must be like. Poor little snowflake."

Jack rolled his eyes, then floated toward the tunnel that he normally used to leave the lair. "I'm not gonna end up in Hollywood again if I go through here, am I? Since that's where we came in from? I need to swing by Jamie's house."

Pitch blinked slowly at him. "It will lead you to Burgess, yes."

"Does it take me wherever I want to go?"

"No, it takes you wherever _I_ want you to go. If I so choose I could trap you in an endless labyrinth of tunnels. You should keep that in mind." The Nightmare King favored him with a wolfish grin. Jack shivered. Despite the time they'd spent together, Pitch could still be incredibly intimidating when he wanted to be. Perhaps it was the other's power, but Jack felt a little twinge of fear at those words. He wouldn't really do that, would he?

Fortunately, the corridor did indeed open into Burgess. Stars still twinkled brightly in the pre-dawn sky here. Jack left JD's helmet on Jamie's windowsill along with a little note. In the wee hours of the Fall morning, all was quiet. Abby the greyhound glanced sleepily up at him and gave a wide yawn before curling back up at Jamie's feet.

Upon arriving at the North Pole, Jack realized that there was a hitch in his plan to ask North for help. The Workshop, which was busy even on normal days, was absolutely insane so close to Christmas. Jack could barely even find a place to land amid all the Yetis and elves. North appeared long enough to pat his shoulder, tell him what a Great Job he'd been doing, and remind him that the Holiday Ball was coming up at the beginning of December.

"Remember, is going to be BIIIIG party! First in centuries. Spirits from all corners of globe will be here!"

"Wow. But how do you have the time for that with Christmas so close?" Jack leapt into the air to avoid being trampled by a cluster of Yetis bearing brightly painted toy firetrucks.

"We are working over-overtime. This is extra special event, once in lifetime!" North spread his arms. "And, Jack, you can invite one person. Kozmotis and Mother Nature already on list of course! You figure who it will be, you go talk to Petunia." He gestured vaguely to a violet-colored Yeti seated at paper-strewn desk. "Now, I must get back to work. You are doing just fine, Jack." He strode toward the elevator leading to his study. "See you at Holiday Ball!"

"Uh... yeah..." Jack stared after him. The Ball sounded like it would be incredible, but he still had to get this stupid schedule down. He sighed, and turned to the purple-furred Yeti. She glanced up at him and grumbled a question.

"North said I could invite one person, so I guess I tell you?" She grumbled more and nodded, waving a plume pen. "Let's see..." The list of people Jack knew wasn't very long. Pitch and Seraphina were already accounted for, and Jack had a feeling that by "people" North had meant spirits, and not Jamie. Even though he would have loved to see the boy's expression. Perhaps someday he could bring the kid here. He thought hard for a moment. "Oh! JD...The Jersey Devil. I'll invite him, he's actually a pretty cool guy." Petunia gave him an incredulous look, sighed, and scribbled the name down on an official-looking paper. She placed it neatly in an envelope and passed it to an excited-looking elf, who stamped a wax seal on it with a bit too much enthusiasm. At least someone here was enjoying their job. The Yeti waved Jack away tiredly.

Ordinarily Jack would have retreated to the Pole's kitchen, but with so much going on he decided to head for the roof instead. He settled on the sill of one massive window, and pulled out the planner. This wasn't getting any easier. Somehow, he forced himself to get at least a week down.

November passed slowly. If it weren't for Pitch, Jack wasn't certain he would have made it through. He saw the Nightmare King more often now. Maybe it was because the evenings were getting longer, allowing Pitch more time to work. Or maybe he was actually checking up on Jack. Whatever the reason, Jack often encountered him on those crisp Fall nights, even if it was just to give a passing greeting. Sometimes they would hold little conversations about work, or the upcoming Holidays. With Halloween over, though, Pitch wasn't exactly ecstatic about the rest of them. Jack allowed himself to vent some of his frustrations, though he tried not to sound too whiny.

On occasion he would return to Venice, and work on his planner in his little canal-side room. With December fast approaching, it was getting more and more difficult. Winter was his. He should be able to do what felt right, to go where the wild winds called him. He couldn't give up now, though. This would be his first Winter as a Guardian. His first real test of responsibility.

Jack groaned and shoved the papers aside. He drifted down to the Globe Room to play with the Premonitions. The fickle creatures seemed to have taken a liking to him, and he enjoyed watching them chase his snowflakes. It was relaxing, watching the iridescent white felines weave about.

"Are you ready for the Holiday Ball, Jack?" Seraphina appeared by his side. He was a little to tired to be surprised by her sudden appearance.

"Oh yeah, when is that?" Jack yawned.

"Tomorrow."

"What?" Jack sat up. "I didn't even realize...is it December already?" He ran a hand through his hair. How could he have forgotten? He was exhausted, that's how. "You and Pitch are both going, right?"

"Not if I can help it." Pitch sighed, appearing beside his daughter.

"Aww, come on. It'll be fun." Jack managed a grin. "There's going to be all kinds of spirits there."

"Exactly."

"Aww, come on. If I have to go, you do too. New Guardians, remember?" The idea of facing who knows how many unfamiliar spirits was actually kind of intimidating to Jack. The other Guardians would be there, of course, but it wasn't the same. He felt more confident when Pitch was around. Well, he was the Guardian of Courage now, so perhaps that was why. "And hey, I took time out of my busy schedule to hang out with you on Halloween."

"Oh yes, that must have been awful for you." Pitch said dryly. "I do suppose that as a Guardian I am expected to show up to these pointless little to-dos. Can't have them thinking I'm anti-social now, can I?" He regarded Jack.

"That, or they'll think that you're _afraid_ of them." Seraphina smiled. Jack decided that wolfish grin must be a Pitchiner family thing.

"I most certainly am not. Well, I suppose I can't allow you to keep all the attention and adoration you will undoubtedly receive for yourself. " Pitch smirked. "And besides, if you end up screwing up something spectacularly, I want to be there to see it."

"Oh, thanks for the vote of confidence. I'll have you know I haven't made a mess of things in quite some time." Jack puffed out his chest.

"Yes, it's sad really."

From the outside, the North Pole didn't look much different. The main building was in its usual state of complete chaos. Jack and the Pitchiners were welcomed (somewhat warily) by Petunia the Yeti, who was busy checking off names. JD hadn't arrived yet, and they decided to wait in the lobby hall for a few minutes. Fortunately, he appeared shortly after.

"Whew, had some cold Winters in the Barrens but this..." JD shook some ice off of his bat-like wings. "So this is the North Pole? Never thought I'd be invited here! Thanks for thinking of me!"

"Hey there JD. Yeah, I know the feeling." Jack grinned. "At least your invite came in the form of a letter and not the Yeti Brute Squad." Petunia growled at the four of them and waved toward a sign that said _To the Grand Ballroom_.

"I do not think the Yeti wishes us to loiter here any longer." Pitch said.

"Come now, Father. Jack, JD." Seraphina glided down the indicated hallway.

Jack was used to the hustle and bustle of the Workshop, but the amount of activity in the Grand Ballroom was something else. He could only stare in awe. The room was smaller than the main building, but still massive by normal standards. The center held a smaller-scale replica of the Great Globe, and the Guardian's insignia was emblazoned on the floor below it. There were now six points surrounding the shining "G", and each held the silhouette of a Guardian. Heavy beams of dark wood crisscrossed the ceiling, interspersed with ornate windows. Somehow, despite its size, the place still felt incredibly crowded. Jack had never seen so many spirits in one place before. Apparently when North decided to hold a party, it wasn't something to be sneezed at.

There were beings from every continent. Jack recognized a few of them. There was Momotaro, the self-proclaimed defender of Japan, and Connor the Leprechaun (who was actually from Boston). Lung the dragon curled around the base of the Globe, chatting with the Simurgh and Toothiana. Sasquatch had joined the congregation of Yetis, and elves darted about the floor with their Menehune and leprechaun cousins. Phil the Groundhog was chatting with Phil the Yeti. Spirits covered every inch of the Ballroom floor, while even more drifted in the air above.

"Whooooa. Color me impressed." JD gawked at the sea of people and creatures.

"What a fiasco this is going to be." Pitch grumbled. "Let's just get it over with, these beings are far too cheerful for my taste."

"Oh, just go find a dark corner and stand in it, then. The rest of us are going to go enjoy ourselves." Seraphina glided off toward some Dryads.

"Ah, Jack, Kozmotis, welcome!" North strode toward them through the crowd. "And you must be the Jersey Devil. Welcome to North Pole. What you think, eh?"

"You...certainly know how to throw a party." Jack was still trying to take it all in. North laughed.

"Of course. It's just I haven't done it in so long. Feels good, though I will probably regret in morning when it comes time to get back to business." He gestured to a Yeti carrying a platter of drinks. "Eggnog? Is St. North family recipe. North Pole specialty."

"Never had North Pole eggnog before!" JD grabbed one eagerly.

Jack took one as well. Pitch declined, eying the drinks disdainfully.

"Ah, Kozmotis, lighten up. Is party! Haha, get it? Lighten." North patted him on the shoulder, and Pitch looked like he was going to kill something.

"I'm sure your other guests would just love to talk to you right now, North." He gritted through clenched teeth.

"Of course, of course. You enjoy yourselves now. Jack, don't drink too many of those, okay? It is real deal. We don't want blizzard inside ballroom." The big Guardian trundled back through the swarming mass of spirits.

"Oh wow, it's Paul Bunyan. Haven't seen him in ages!" JD hopped on his long hind legs. "I'm gonna go say hi!"

"Go for it." Jack smiled. "I haven't either, I'll come by in a bit." He was feeling overwhelmed with all these beings crammed into one place. It was amazing, and frightening. He'd traveled the world for countless years, and hardly ever came across any of them. And now, here they all were. There were so many voices, so many colors and shapes. There were feathers and fur, wings and scales.

"Well, shall we?" Pitch sighed. "We came this far, I suppose we have to do something."

"...Yeah." Jack took another sip of the eggnog. It was good, though it also packed a punch. He'd have to be careful with that, like North said. "Sure you don't want any?" He found himself offering the mug to Pitch.

"No. I don't drink."

"Really? Ever?"

"Alcohol addles the senses. I despise the idea of anything affecting my judgment or clouding my mind. When the Fearlings were trapped...well...I couldn't afford to let my thoughts wander unchecked. Inebriation leads to rash decisions, and terrible things follow." His eyes grew distant. "Even though those creatures are gone now, I refuse to start."

Jack was about to respond when Bunnymund bounded up to them. "'Allo, Jack. Uh, Koz..motis." He struggled to include Pitch in the greeting, glancing nervously over his shoulder at something before turning to Jack again. "Enjoyin' the party?"

"Well, haven't gotten to see much yet. You okay?"

"Oh yeah, wonderful. You've been doin' a great job with th' Seasons so far. Proud of ya." Bunny grinned at him. "Suppose when you put your mind t' it you can do almost anything!" He glanced over his shoulder again. "Oh, crikey. I gotta run. Catch ya later." He took off as if he were being chased by Abby the greyhound.

A few moments later another rabbit came bouncing through. The tawny-furred creature had huge ears and a pair of antlers that sprouted from her forehead. She must have been the Jackalope. "Did any a' you see Bunnymund come through here? We were havin' the most wonderful conversation but he suddenly had to hightail it out. I could have sworn he came through here!"

"Uh..." Jack glanced around. Clearly Bunny had been trying to escape. Ordinarily he wouldn't have given it a second thought, but Bunny had been pretty nice to him lately. Maybe he should try and be a good boy. Then again, he didn't want Bunny to think he was getting to be _too_ good. Pitch solved his dilemma swiftly.

"He went that way." Pitch gestured in the direction Bunny had disappeared.

"Thank you kindly!" She hopped off excitedly.

"What?" Pitch inquired innocently in response to Jack's look. "I was being helpful."

Jack had to grin. Pitch really did have a mischievous streak. The two continued towards the Globe. Jack stared up at the beings surrounding him, absently sipping his drink. There were just so many people. It was bad enough trying to dodge the usual elves and Yetis. He was so busy trying to not step on any visiting Mehehune that he bumped into a muscular spirit hovering a few feet off the ground.

"Oh, uh, 'scuse me," he mumbled, glancing up at the winged being.

"I'm done here." Pitch turned quickly, only to find his escape route blocked by the backside of a very large blue ox.

"Leaving so soon, Tall Dark and Creepy? And who do we have here, Peter Pan's frozen cousin?" The man peered at them through round, rose-colored glasses. "I'd say you should chill out bro, but it seems like you've got that covered. You must be Jack Frost."

Pitch glared at the odd spirit. "I see you seem to have a problem. Your head is still attached to your shoulders. I could help you with that, you know."

"Oooh, in a good mood today huh Nightmare King? You need to learn to peace out, you know? You're a Guardian now. It's a party~ We're all here to have fun, right?" He winked at Jack.

Jack wasn't sure quite how to respond to either the man's words, or his appearance. He was burly, with a grizzled face, and a bright pink mohawk. Brown-and-black banded hawk wings sprouted from his back, and he was clad in a camo-print toga. Only some of the camouflage patches were neon magenta instead of dark green. What was that even meant to blend into?

"Sorry but...who are you?" Jack finally managed.

"Give you a hint, his name rhymes with stupid," Pitch sighed, giving up on escaping for the moment since Babe gave no indication of moving.

Jack noticed a black and pink tiger-stripe compound bow at the man's side, and a quiver of equally garish arrows strapped to his back. "Uh, Cupid?"

"The one and only. Master of loooove." Cupid struck a heroic pose.

"Spare us the drivel." Pitch rolled his eyes.

"Aww, come on. Love makes the world go round."

"You make an even bigger mess than he does." Pitch nodded toward Jack.

"Hey!"

"No messes, man. Only happy accidents. It's all in the great plan of the universe."

The massive blue bovine finally trundled out of the way, and Pitch edged toward freedom. "I believe I should see how Seraphina is doing." He fixed Cupid with a venomous glare. "I swear by the Constellations if you ever go near her I will plague you with Night Terrors for the rest of eternity." He disappeared into the crowd.

"He's kinda scary." Cupid whistled out a breath.

"Well, yeah, he is still the Nightmare King. He just has...social issues, I guess you could say. But I'm not really one to talk... Neither of us has really interacted with people for a long time." Jack stared after him, wondering if he should follow. This was a party, though. He should try and meet more new people.

"Aww, don't worry about it bro. I'm sure things will get better for you both. Being a Guardian, that's no small thing. It's pretty epic, like whoooa. I kinda envy you. But I like my gig. Don't know if I could deal with all that saving-the-world business. I'm a Make Love Not War kinda guy." He whipped out the tiger-striped bow, snapping it open. "What'dya think of my new bow? The wooden one was getting kind of old fashioned."

"I like it! Though, I'm still trying to reconcile the whole hippie attitude, hunter gear thing." Jack admitted honestly.

"Hunter of hearts, man. Hunter of hearts."

"Uh, I see." Jack dodged the long limbs of Anansi the Spider, only to be nearly squashed by a somewhat tipsy centaur. He bid a hasty farewell to Cupid and attempted to navigate the throng of party goers. He couldn't see anyone he knew. Pitch, Seraphina, JD. He couldn't even spot the other Guardians. Well, he was bound to bump into at least one of them if he kept moving.

Jack wandered through the crowd. At first, it was exciting. A few people nodded to him, and congratulated him on his new Guardian status. However, things began to go downhill quickly. Perhaps because Pitch was no longer nearby to intimidate people, Jack suddenly found himself the center of attention. Everyone wanted to meet the new Guardian. He shook hands and paws and wings, and it felt as if he was simply getting passed on from person to person. Faces blurred together, crowding in toward him excitedly. Everyone was talking, asking him questions. He clung to his staff, everyone seemed to want to touch it. It was the source of his power, and he was terrified of dropping it or having some overly zealous air sprite fly off with it. Without it he couldn't fly, couldn't freeze things. Still people crowded in. It was stifling. Frantically, Jack glanced around for a familiar face. North, Tooth, Sandy, Bunny. Pitch, where was Pitch? Where were any of his friends? Jack had always wanted to be seen and heard, but this was too much. There was no room to breathe. He felt as if he were going to be crushed. There were too many people, it was getting too hot.

He launched himself into the air with a burst of ice and snow, forcing the spirits surrounding him to back up. Jack found himself panting for air. Unfortunately, many beings could fly, or at least float. A gaggle of wind and forest sprites surrounded him, giggling. They adored him. Great, yeah that was great but right now he needed his space. They didn't seem to get it. He tried to excuse himself, zipping around the side of the Globe to no avail. There were always more spirits. Jack tried to wind his way around the massive ballroom, ducking behind columns or tables heaped with incredible-looking food that he was too aggravated to try. Finally, he managed to make his way unseen up to one of the huge crossbeams of the ceiling. He ducked into its shadow, curling up around his staff. This close to the windows, the wood was cool from the Arctic air.

A sound by his head made him jump, and he brandished his staff defensively. Baby Tooth squeaked at him, wide-eyed. "Oh, sorry Baby Tooth. I thought you were one of those crazy wind sprites. No one saw you, did they?" She shook her head. He sighed, leaning back against the wooden beam and closing his eyes. "I just need a break. It's a zoo down there." She nodded understandingly, landing by his hand. After a few blessed quiet minutes, he leaned carefully over the side. Where was Pitch? He could probably go back down there if he kept close to the Nightmare King. From up here, Jack could see the entire floor. Spotting the tall black figure wasn't too difficult. Below was a see of moving figures, except for one circle of space. Unlike Jack, Pitch seemed more than able to keep undesired attention from himself. No one seemed to want to get more than a few feet away from him.

"Jack! Hey, you alright?" JD's fanged snout suddenly appeared in his view. Baby Tooth squeaked and whacked him on the nose. "Ow! What gives?"

"Ack, Baby Tooth, it's okay! He's a friend." Jack winced. "Sorry about that. She can be a little protective." The diminutive fairy looked back at him with an expression that said _you bet I am_. He smiled at her. "I know she's always got my back."

"That one packs a wallop." JD hovered just below Jack's beam, leathery wings flapping. He rubbed his muzzle. "But yeah, saw you shoot up here a while ago and-"

There was a commotion below, and Jack saw another group of rabid fangirl spirits start flying toward them.

"Ugh, I need to get out of here for a bit, sorry JD. Please tell Pitch and the others I'll be back. I just need some space."

"Yeah, you are looking a bit pale there. Even for you. Get outta here, I'll hold them off for you." JD dropped down toward the oncoming swarm, and Baby Tooth followed, shooting a concerned glance at Jack.

"I'll be fine." Jack forced a smile before taking off. He managed to make it outside without being caught, alighting atop the Ballroom's dome. He let out a sigh, closing his eyes and letting the frozen Arctic air wash over him. He'd expected crowds, and to maybe get a little attention. This was beyond anything he could have imagined, though. Jack soon discovered that even up here, it wasn't safe. Within moments he found himself surrounded by adoring slyphs who giggled as they swirled around him. Jack couldn't take it anymore. He slammed his staff against the rooftop, sending an icy blast that caused them to scatter. He ignored their wide-eyed expressions as he shot into the air, bidding the wind to carry him away as swiftly as it could.

Jack flew silently for quite some time, watching the frozen landscape pass by. A small town appeared before him, probably some remote Canadian fishing village. One that could use even more snow, Jack decided. Evening was coming on, and most residents were already inside. Jack vented his frustration by loosing a small snowstorm. He watched the few remaining residents dash for cover as the skies grew gray and the wind picked up. He didn't care if North chided him later for it. It wasn't out of season in a place like this, and he needed to do something before he exploded. It felt good to finally make it snow, not just a little Autumn flurry.

Jack landed in the town center, wandering through the abandoned streets. He amused himself for a while by tracing questionable images in the frosted car windows. Let them figure those out in the morning. He drifted towards the harbor, coating the docks with glistening icicles.

It felt good to be like this. Spontaneous. Free. It's how he was supposed to be. Jack stared out over the murky gray waves. He felt much calmer now. Had he overreacted? Maybe just a bit. No one at the party had been trying to annoy him. They'd just been excited. He'd come to realize that even though there were many spirits still in this world, they really didn't interact with one another very much. In a way, they were all a bit socially inept. He knew how good it felt to have someone to talk to after so long alone. He really couldn't blame the sylphs, or any of the other spirits.

His thoughts traveled back to Pitch. The only real reason he'd gone to the Ball in the first place was because of Jack. Did Pitch really enjoy being around him that much? Jack didn't want to get his hopes up. Pitch had spent time with him. Quite a bit of it, actually. Willingly. And Jack had enjoyed every minute of it. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how much he liked the Nightmare King. Actually, 'liked' might not be a strong enough word. That realization brought him to his senses with a jolt.

Who was he kidding? Pitch? He was a friend, as unlikely as that sounded. Friends spent time together. They did fun things together. He didn't need to get carried away just because someone finally decided he was worth spending time with. Maybe Cupid had messed with his mind back then or something, causing him to have these strange thoughts.

Just because he loved those silver-gold eyes. Or the way Pitch's face scrunched up when he was genuinely smiling. Or the way he started gesturing frantically when he got excited about something. Or that one little piece of hair that just didn't seem to want to lay right. Or the way he ran his tongue along his teeth. Or the way he often had that smug little half-smirk on his face. Or the way he carried himself with such elegance. Or his blatant dislike of authority.

Jack shook himself. What was he even thinking. He was tired and confused from so much excitement. Maybe it was the eggnog. Pitch was right, it had addled his mind. Jack stared up at the gray clouds overhead. It was getting darker, and he should probably get back to the North Pole. He didn't want Pitch, Seraphina and JD to think he'd abandoned them. Really, the party hadn't been that bad, Jack told himself. He just hadn't been prepared for it. Now that he knew what to expect, he could face the other spirits again. Maybe.

The lights in the Grand Ballroom were still shining brightly by the time Jack returned. The rooftop now appeared abandoned, and Jack was able to land without being bombarded by enthusiastic air sprites. He peered down through one of the massive windows. The crowds seemed to have thinned slightly, though it was still a dizzying sea of bodies. Too many. The fervor had died down somewhat, but it was still too much. Jack pulled away, his anxiety returning.

_Just a little more. Come on, Jack, it's a_ party _for crying out loud._ _It's supposed to be_ fun. Jack steeled himself, but as he was about to drop down to the doorway sudden movement caught his eye, a black shadow against the starlit snow. Pitch must have finally had his fill of the Ball. Jack remembered that day, so long ago it seemed, that the two of them had bailed out of North's Holiday Meeting to go racing across the globe together. He remembered how, for the first time, the magic of his snowballs had actually affected Pitch. Maybe after a little snowball fight to raise their spirits, they would both be able to last the rest of the evening.

Jack dropped quietly to the ground, well beyond Pitch's view. He scooped up a handful of glistening snow, and darted swiftly around the side of the building. "Hey Pitch, heads up!" He hurled the little missile towards the other's head with his usual pinpoint accuracy. Pitch looked up, and Jack realized immediately that something was wrong. Too late, he saw the anger smoldering in that golden gaze.

The anger turned to surprise for the briefest of moments, right before the snowball hit him in the face.

Pitch snarled. "Frost. _You..._"

"I'm sorry!" Jack stepped back, frightened. "Is something wrong? I didn't mean to-"

"_You_. Those damn snowballs. You. Ruin. _EVERYTHING_." Pitch was so enraged he could barely speak. Dark dreamsand swirled around Pitch's shadowed form, and with a final strained hiss of "_Curse you!_" he was gone.

"What...I...I didn't mean to..." Jack stood rooted to the spot, stunned.


End file.
